Themen der Lehrveranstaltung
• Definition and characteristics of scale-ups • Relevant theories in the context of scaling-up • Strategies for (survival and) growth in startups • Key challenges & drivers throughout the scaling process • Methods & tools to manage scaling processes • Leadership, culture and teams for scaling • Ecosystem perspective on scale-ups • Scaling with corporates • Student case presentations

Unterrichtsform
Frontal lectures, exercises, and team-based project work

Bildungsziele
Knowledge and understanding The student acquires advanced knowledge and understanding of the models and instruments of economic-business analysis for the creation of a new company with particular attention to the identification of new market opportunities, the availability and procurement of economic-financial resources and technological and organisational skills for the development of the company The student acquires advanced knowledge and understanding of the models and tools of economic-business analysis for the management of a new enterprise, from the financial and organisational point of view and with respect to the dynamics of growth and development I/we acquire advanced knowledge and understanding of the theories and tools for the economic analysis of business decisions. I/we acquire knowledge and understanding of theories and tools for the economic analysis of the market, at the level of the individual enterprise and the supply system I/we acquire knowledge and understanding of the theories and tools of statistical analysis for making market forecasts The student acquires knowledge of the legal forms necessary for the establishment of a company and for the legal protection of intellectual property rights Ability to apply knowledge and understanding ability to acquire and select information that may be relevant from an entrepreneurial point of view, also in economic-productive contexts different from those studied ability to analyse the combination of market opportunities and resources of the enterprise and to identify entrepreneurial formulas, also with the elaboration of original, compatible and sustainable solutions and combinations ability to select business economics models, suitable for the appropriate analysis of a specific economic-social and productive context ability to select the tools for the strategy and management of the enterprise, consistent with the enterprise economy models considered appropriate ability to assess the potential and sustainability of new business projects (business plan), from a multidisciplinary (economic, business and legal) perspective ability to assess the entrepreneurial potential associated with the development of an innovation by an enterprise (learning area 2) ability to propose and implement strategic and operational courses of action to favour the birth of a new enterprise Autonomy of judgement Acquire the ability to analyse complex entrepreneurial issues, such as the elaboration and evaluation of a business project (business plan) or the development of a new product. Acquire the ability to make predictions, such as analysing the future consequences of entrepreneurial, managerial and operational choices. Autonomy of judgement is developed in the training activities carried out for the preparation of the thesis, as well as in the exercises that accompany the lectures and that involve group discussions and the comparison of individual analyses carried out by students in preparation for the lecture. Communication skills Acquire the ability to describe and communicate in an intercultural context, in a clear and precise manner, problematic situations typical of the management of a new enterprise and the development of innovation, such as, for example, the conditions for the validation of a problem or solution, the prospects and risks associated with a business model or an innovation project. The development of communication competences assumes heterogeneous situations such as, for example, the presence of internal stakeholders (e.g. colleagues, managers, owners), or external stakeholders (e.g. potential investors, suppliers and other business partners) and the ability to sustain an adversarial process. The achievement of these objectives is assessed in the course of the training activities already mentioned, as well as in the discussion of the final thesis. Learning ability Acquire the ability to study independently, to prepare summaries. Acquire the ability to identify thematic connections and to establish relationships between different cases and contexts of analysis Acquire the ability to frame a new problem systematically and to generate appropriate taxonomies. Acquire the ability to develop general models from the phenomena studied.

Bildungsziele und erwartete Lernergebnisse (zus. Informationen)
Knowledge and understanding: The students grasp the most important and practice-relevant knowledge of companies in the scale-up phase and the ongoing transition and the associated chances and challenges. The students have a systematic understanding of this content, are able to integrate this knowledge and are familiar with the current state of research and industry development on the subject. Applying knowledge and understanding: Students are able to critically apply theoretical frameworks and practical tools to real-world scale-up challenges. They work in teams to analyse complex scaling scenarios, identify core issues, and develop context-specific solutions. They are able to motivate their choices, explain trade-offs, and communicate the rationale behind their solutions in a structured and compelling way, based on the learned frameworks and practice insights. Making judgments: The students can deal with the complexity of the challenges in managing scale-ups. They can assess company strategies in a qualified manner and reflect on them critically, also ethically. Communication skills: Students will be able to communicate their knowledge of scale-ups to both lay and professional audiences. In doing so, they can logically and coherently weigh up, argue about, and explain their decisions. Learning skills: Students know the most important sources of reliable and up-to-date knowledge on scale-ups. This enables them to learn new things independently and to consider the transition from a startup to a more mature company less as threat and more as an opportunity. The knowledge acquired in the course is organized in such a flexible way that they are able to link new contents and trends in this field to the existing knowledge and thus comprehend and apply them.

Art der Prüfung
For attending students: The achievement of the learning objectives is assessed through three outcome measures: • Written exam (45%): A written exam is designed to measure the knowledge of the contents and their deeper comprehension • Project work (45%): Students will directly apply the knowledge and skills learned to an given task (opportunity or challenge induced by facing the scale-up phase; presented in form of a case-study). The rigors of this team-based project work go beyond mere application of what has been learned and require the development of a new mix of activities, course prepared but now self-directed learning of tools and their application, and critical judgment of various approaches. The results presented (powerpoint-based). • Class participation (10%): Assessment of participation in class and accompanying project units will relate to oral and written (e.g., team discussions) contributions by students. This includes critical reflection, guided discussion, synthesis, and further development of course content. For non-attending students: The achievement of the learning objectives is assessed through a single outcome measure: • Written exam (100%): A written exam is designed to measure both the knowledge of the contents and their deeper comprehension as well as the application of what has been learned. NOTE: Project work and classroom contributions are valid for 1 academic year and cannot be carried over beyond that time-frame.

Bewertungskriterien
For attending students: The final grade results from the addition of the following partial achievements (1) Written exam (45%), (2) Project work (45%), (3) Class participation (10%) The following evaluation criteria are essential for the assessment: • Correctness and reliability of the statements • Structure and clarity of the statements • Logic and coherence of the statements • Integration and interconnectedness of the learned content • Quality and extent of the research • Choice and application of the learned content • Quality, applicability, and innovativeness of the results • Activity and proactivity regarding the contributions For non-attending students: The final grade results from the (1) Written exam (100%). The following evaluation criteria are essential for the assessment: • Correctness and reliability of the statements • Structure and clarity of the statements • Logic and coherence of the statements • Integration and interconnectedness of the learned content • Choice and application of the learned content • Quality, applicability, and innovativeness of the results