Kari Kleine (kleine@mci.sdu.dk) Educating for Technology Entrepreneurship Through Scientist-Student Collaboration Kari Kleine (kleine@mci.sdu.dk) SDU Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Mads Clausen Institute, Sønderborg This research is part of a PhD dissertation regarding technology entrepreneurship education. Amongst others, the focus is on learning processes, technology transfer, and practical implementation of innovative teaching approaches. What is our problem? Can students build the bridge towards commercialization? Barr et al. (2009), AMLE What is our reference framework? Commercialization of research outcomes, combination of academic and student entrepreneurship Collaboration between scientists and engineering students – Learning theories Scientists as origin of technical prototypes Scientists act as mentors/technical experts Students drive the commercialization and product development process Research question How do the collaboration dynamics between scientist and students contribute to achieve intended learning outcomes (regarding technology commercialization)? Method Embedded multiple-case study in line with Eisenhardt & Graebner (2007) Micro-level perspective Cases are independent experiments and therefore allow comparison Case data 4 teams (students and scientist) – longitudinal data (6 months) Rich data: reports, evaluations, focus groups and interviews Mid-term interviews with experts Mid-term focus groups with students Concluding focus groups with scientist and students Initial project proposals by the scientists Student assessments of the ideas/prototypes (initial and final) Written group assignments & reports Preliminary findings Scientist involvement facilitates a real context for the students, which is used to validate assumptions The technically advanced status of the scientists´ prototypes enable students to drive the commercialization process and facilitate real feedback loops from potential customers/markets Scientist-student collaboration contributes knowledge that exceeds regular lecture content in term of applicability Student motivation depends on the degree of ownership they develop during the project, which impacts the collaborational dynamics Implications for practice and research Scientist-student collaboration is a form of ‘learning through’ entrepreneurial practice and is highly useful to achieve intended learning outcomes in technology entrepreneurship Singular nature of technology entrepreneurship: focus on both the development and commercialization of new advances in science and engineering Contribution to teaching models that address specific challenges of technology entrepreneurship education Scientist-student collaboration can be an active driver for technology transfer