Fusion Coursework  

Technology Commercialization*

New company formation and corporate partnering are two primary (although not exclusive) tools for bringing new innovations to market.  In this skills-based course, students will learn the fundamentals of organizing a commercial development vehicle around a technology-based business model.  Multi-disciplinary focal points will include:

Management – early-stage company organization; private financing fundamentals (i.e., angel and venture capital); business planning; organization building; and negotiation skills/approaches.

Law – primers on corporate law and securities offerings (public and private) will be focused upon.  Additionally, the impacts of industry-specific regulatory (e.g., FDA, EPA) frameworks will be taught.

Science/Engineering (e.g., genomics, chemistry, biomedical engineering) – The fundamentals of organizing product development in the company context will be a primary focus, with students developing decision skills - that are at times field-specific - for in-sourcing/outsourcing, corporate partnering and portfolio scalability decision. A secondary, but important tenet will be to impart students with an understanding of the ultimate customer/payor/practitioner framework that strongly impacts modern development in the global biomedical and energy industries.

Tangible outcomes/deliverables of this course will include the development of a formal business plan or partnering strategy that aligns to a tactical product development approach and is based upon a perceived ability to capture quantitative value. When appropriate for a given technology opportunity, students will be exposed to implementation plans for commercializing a technology, leading to the creation of a securities offering for early stage finance.