ニーズに触発された発明とアントレプレナーシップ

‒ Do you believe that your research can be applied to address real unmet needs ‒ that make life better for people not just in Japan but also globally? ‒ Are you interested in developing these applications and taking steps to ensure that inventions based upon your research will reach persons who need them and are willing to buy them? If you answer “yes” to both these questions, then this course is for you. The fall‒winter semester course, University Entrepreneurship 大学アントレプレナ ーシップ, also seeks students who answer “yes” to the same questions. However, Needs Inspired Invention, focuses on invention itself ‒‒ specifically on determining new, realistic applications of your research that respond to real unmet needs and that are competitive globally. It does not presume that these applications will be developed by a startup, an established company or a government or nonprofit organization, although this issue should be kept in mind as you plan how the applications of your research will  actually reach people who need them. This is an individualized and participatory course, originally developed by Prof. Robert Kneller, modelled on the science‒ entrepreneurship mentoring programs that constitute Stanford BioDesign, Stanford Medical School’s Spark, and Y‒Combinator. Participants are expected to be serious about applying their research in new ways to meet unmet needs and actively participating in the translational research process. Students must be able to understand conversational English and to participate in English discussions. Written assignments must be submitted in English.      This course will primarily been conducted online via zoom, every Monday from 16:40 to 18:20 (holidays excepted). When in-person lectures are permitted, the class will be held in the small seminar room on the 2nd floor of RCAST building 4. The first day will probably be April 8 and the last day July 8.  Students from the Hongo, Shirokane and Kashiwa campuses are also welcome to attend. Much of the class time will be devoted to discussion of (1) case studies from the recommended books and additional sources and (2) development of the business plans outlined below. Presentations by students and participation in discussions are important. Students should not register if they anticipate having to miss more than just a few sessions.  Also, students need to respect any requests by other students that whatever is discussed in class not be revealed outside of class to third parties.    The final report/project will be to complete a business plan describing an invention (either hypothetical or real) in a field you are familiar with and interested in. The business plan should also describe:  ‒ the needs your invention will meet,   ‒ why persons will use or buy it,   ‒ what are competing products/technologies,   ‒ what steps you are likely to take to test your hypotheses about the value of your invention,  ‒ how you will adjust your invention or development plan to what you learn in the early experimentation and development phase, and   ‒ an overall development plan that addressed the issues listed under "Objectives." Inventions and business plans related to social entrepreneurship are fine. The same is true if you want to create a not‒for‒profit service or organization, provided you develop a realistic plan to make it sustainable and appealing. This course is intended to help students step back from their current studies and to think realistically about how they can translate their skills and knowledge into inventions that will meet real human needs. After graduation, students might find themselves in an academic or corporate setting where they can bring these ideas about "needs inspired inventions" to fruition directly. But sometimes then may find that they have to step outside of their normal routines to develop such ideas ‒ sometimes by forming new companies, sometimes by carving out a niche within their work organization that will enable them to carry forward such development. This course is intended to encourage students to think about coupling "invention" and "needs" and then about how to turn these needs inspired inventions into actual products or services that people will use.

This is a highly interactive course and we expect students to have fun participating in peer discussions. Instruction, oral presentations and discussions will be in English. Students is expected to be able to understand conversational English and to participate in discussions. Written assignments must be submitted in understandable English. This course is open to students from all departments, institutes and centers in the University of Tokyo. Due to the nature and the mode of teaching, in the case when the number of participating students do not reach the required level for peer-instruction to function, students will be recommneded to join the class in the next semester in October. i.e. 3788-034 University Entrepreneurship 大学アントレプレナ ーシップ

1/3rd class attendance and oral participation, 1/3rd written assignments and formal class presentations, and 1/3rd final report consisting of writing a description of the invention and a realistic plan how to develop and commercialize it.

Core: Reis, The Lean Startup, Reference: Livingston. Founders at Work

基礎を固める（分野別基礎）

前提となる知識と項目：No prerequisite background. During the course, we will be introducing necessary materials to bring everyone up to speed. We encourage all participating students to take part in the discussions, presentation of book chapters and to interact with each other.

The instructor has over 15 years of start-up experience working in the US and Japan. He was the CEO/CTO of a UTokyo technology startup from 2005-2015, and successfully turn-around the company from JPY600M debt to achieve profitability with JPY1B in revenue. He was in a unique position to master practical business operation skills including accounting, financing, legal, human resource management, trading, import/export, costing, IP management, international operation.