| Module Code | CSU44081 |
| Module Name | Entrepreneurship & High-Tech Venture Creation |
| ECTS Weighting | 5 ECTS |
| Semester Taught | Semester 2 |
| Module Coordinator/s | Prof. Vinny Cahill |
Module Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
- Explain how high-tech venture creation operates, with an emphasis on the processes developed by the Silicon Valley venture community over the past 20 years;
- Understand and give examples of some of the basic skills needed to recognise and nurture commercial opportunities, marshal the human and financial resources needed to promote their ideas and execute a well formulated business plan;
- Describe how high-tech industry in general and the ICT industry in particular has evolved and continues to evolve;
- Describe how a strong ethical culture can be fostered in an entrepreneurial venture, including the importance of leading by example and having a code of conduct;
- Give oral presentations and engage in in-class discussion;
- Describe a product or service to a non-technical audience;
- Understand how high-tech companies are financed from seed rounds to stock market listing and what factors drive their valuation.
Module Content
- Entrepreneurship and its contribution to the economy and society;
- The ‘Entrepreneurial Perspective’;
- Opportunity recognition and evaluation;
- Building and managing your team;
- Initial funding and financing your growth;
- Developing and executing on a business plan;
- Marketing and promoting your idea;
- Protecting intellectual property.
Teaching and Learning Methods
Lectures, use of blogs, and individual and/or group presentations.
Assessment Details
| Assessment Component | Brief Description | Learning Outcomes Addressed | % of Total | Week Set | Week Due |
| Individual Blog Posts/Presentation | Examine the present circumstances of a public high-tech company and give an analyst presentation. | All | 10% | Week 2 onwards | All Completed by Week 11 |
| Quiz 1 | 20 questions covering Weeks 1-4 of the course. | L01-L4, L06, L07 | 20% | Week 6 | Week 6 |
| Business Plan | Prepare a mini-business plan for a proposed high-tech venture. | L01-L03, L06-L07 | 50% | Week 8 | Week 11 |
| Quiz 2 | 20 questions covering Marketing and Intellectual Property Topics. | L01-L03 | 20% | Week 12 | Week 12 |
Reassessment Details
Examination (2 hours, 100%).
Contact Hours and Indicative Student Workload
| Contact Hours (scheduled hours per student over full module), broken down by: | 33 hours |
| Lectures | 22 hours |
| Laboratory | 0 hours |
| Tutorial or seminar | 11 hours |
| Other | 0 hours |
| Independent Study (outside scheduled contact hours), broken down by: | 70 hours |
| Preparation for classes and review of material (including preparation for examination, if applicable) | 56 hours |
| Completion of assessments (including examination, if applicable) | 14 hours |
| Total Hours | 103 hours |
Recommended Reading List
- Entrepreneurship: Successfully Launching New Ventures, (latest edition), Barringer, B.R. & Ireland, R.D., Pearson Education, New Jersey.
Module Pre-requisites
Prerequisite modules: N/A
Other/alternative non-module prerequisites: N/A
Module Co-requisites
N/A