Innovation - from research to business in health sciences
Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences at University of Copenhagen
This is a specialised course. This means that 80% of the seats are reserved to PhD students enrolled at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at UCPH and 20% of the seats are reserved to PhD students from other Danish Universities/faculties (except CBS).
The course is free of charge for PhD students at Danish universities (except Copenhagen Business School), and for PhD Students from NorDoc member faculties. All other participants must pay the course fee.
Anyone can apply for the course, but if you are not a PhD student at a Danish university, you will be placed on the waiting list until enrollment deadline. This also applies to PhD students from NorDoc member faculties. After the enrollment deadline, available seats will be allocated to applicants on the waiting list.
Learning objectives
A student who has met the objectives of the course will be able to:
1. Understand and interpret research with an innovative/commercial potential
2. Demonstrate and define how to go from "idea to market”
3. Understand basic concepts of making a business plan
4. Communicate and pitch your project to investors or collaborators
5. Gain an increased perspective of opportunities and possibilities aside from the "regular" academic.
Content
Team creation, Proof-of-Concept experiments, Market analysis, Business plan, Business/Go-to-market Strategy, Regulatory affairs, Investments and funding, Company pitching. Focus on therapeutics and medtech.
Participants
The course is for PhD students at all levels with a natural interest and curiosity in innovation and research commercialization within the field of health and medical sciences, with a focus on therapeutics and medtech. The course does not require prior experience with innovation or research commercialization. Students with prior experience can, however, also benefit greatly from the course.
Relevance to graduate programmes
The course is relevant to PhD students from the following graduate programmes at the Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences, UCPH:
All graduate programmes
Language
English
Form
Lectures, group work, presentations and discussions
Course director
Bo Hjorth Bentzen, Associate Professor, University of Copenhagen, bobe@sund.ku.dk
Teachers
To be confirmed:
Trine Winterø, Vice Dean, Innovation and External Relations
Ulrik Krogh Andersen, CEO at Mequ
Stephanie Holstein-Rønsbo, COO and co-founder Loma Therapeutics
Petar V. Todorov, Associate at BioInnovation Institute
Walden Bjørn-Yoshimoto, Associate Professor and CEO Akasi Pharma
Ali Salanti, Professor, Centre for Medical Parasitology
Henriette Schultz Kirkegaard, Co-funder 3DIntegrated
Janine Terra Erler, Professor, BRIC
Katja Kjær Grønbæk, CMO Ward24/7
Kristian Strømgaard, Professor, Center for Biopharmaceuticals
Agnete Kirkeby, Associate Professor
Ann Christine Korsgaard, Regulatory expert at Director Ozack
Jørgen Søberg Petersen, Partner at Novo Holdings
KU Lighthouse
Kamilla Rolsted, COO & Head of Development at Pepexia therapeutics
Umar Adegoke, Associate at BioInnovation Institute
Bo Hjorth Bentzen, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences
Dates
16 - 20 November 2026
Course location
Faculty Lounge, Mærsk Tower 7.15.107A, Panum, Copenhagen University
Registration
Please register before 16 October 2026
Expected frequency
The course is recurrent every year in November
Seats to PhD students from other Danish universities will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and according to the applicable rules. Applications from other participants will be considered after the last day of enrolment.
Note: All applicants are asked to submit invoice details in case of no-show, late cancellation or obligation to pay the course fee (typically non-PhD students). If you are a PhD student, your participation in the course must be in agreement with your principal supervisor.