The prosperity of society comes from innovation – new products, new services, new business models, new processes, and new combinations. For organizations in all forms and sizes, including startups, SME, multinationals, NPO, and NGO, innovation has become the competitive factor number 1. However, innovation does not happen out of the blue. It is driven by entrepreneurs – individuals who spot innovation opportunities earlier than others, recognize the big picture, and develop the opportunity with passion and the right tools.
The Professional MBA Entrepreneurship & Innovation provides the right equipment: strategy, methods, insights, practical skills, cases, and network access.
Strong practical relevance
Theory and practice need to go hand in hand; our carefully selected academic lecturers from technical universities such as TUM or RWTH Aachen University and other top universities therefore accompany expert practitioners in the classroom.
“Application check” – experienced practitioners teach in class
Theory and practice have to go hand in hand. Hence, carefully selected academics and experienced practitioners teach alongside one another in the program. In every module, start-ups, VCs, top managers or other experts from the entrepreneurship ecosystem present best practices as well as case examples and are available for individual feedback sessions. Apart from that, you will develop your entrepreneurial skills as far as pitching, storytelling and negotiating are concerned.
Connect with the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem
Successful entrepreneurs need a strong network. We provide E&I students important opportunities to connect with the vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in Vienna.
- E&I boot camp This boot camp will set the scene for the specialization of the program: what can you expect, what can you achieve, how can you contribute to the program entrepreneurially speaking? Also, the boot camp offers you an ideal opportunity to connect with both the WU Entrepreneurship Center and the Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, which, in turn, will allow you to build a network of excellent contacts within the start-up community.
- WU Entrepreneurship Center: The WU Entrepreneurship Center is WU Vienna's hub for all matters relating to entrepreneurship. As a student, you will benefit not only from a wide variety of contacts, presentations and workshops but also from having access to various networks. This is the place to go for aspiring entrepreneurs looking for specific advice, support or partners.
- Entrepreneurship Café: Co-organized by the WU Executive Academy and the WU Entrepreneurship Center, this event offers students an opportunity to gather a wealth of information regarding a potential career in entrepreneurship. In individual coaching sessions and expert chats, you can interact with investors, venture capitalists, business angels, and growth-hacking experts. More than 30 experts from the fields of entrepreneurship and marketing, investor search and finance, as well as commerce and law will provide you with tips, feedback and impetus during one-on-one “dates”.
- Demo Day Preparation and E&I Touchdown: This is another opportunity to once again test your practical skills. During the “Demo Day”, those who intend to present their application projects/master's theses in the course of the “E&I Touchdown”, the big end-of-term event, will be able to go through their pitches with their peers and experienced coaches. At the E&I Touchdown, they will have 45 seconds to convince an exclusive audience of some hundred investors, consultants, entrepreneurs, and students of the merits of their projects.
- Coworking Space: Students have access to business accelerators like WeXelerate or Talent Garden where they can link with startups and international corporate partners in an out-of-class setting, develop ideas together, and advance their own projects.
- WU Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Students have numerous opportunities to benefit from this internationally leading research center, such as direct access to high potentials from the Master/Bachelor level. Students have access to a research center that is an international leader with a focus on open and user innovation (www.e-and-i.org), giving you an opportunity not only to connect directly with high potentials from master's and bachelor's programs but also to sponsor them and have them work on real projects from your own professional practice. It will also be possible for you to serve as coaches and lecturers.
Study your own project
Our students are invited to apply the theory learned on their own business cases, challenges, or projects. The projects can be a corporate challenge (e.g. developing a new business model) or focus on a startup topic (e.g. writing a business plan). Beginning with a counselling session, students can work on their innovation projects – be it in assignments and in their master thesis. Faculty and our network support them.
Target group
The specialization is ideal for people with an entrepreneurial mindset who seek peers with diverse backgrounds (industries, nationalities, cultures) but a shared innovation spirit:
- Entrepreneurs, executives and high-potentials with a focus on innovation, strategy, and R&D
- Individuals with an engineering, science, IT, management, or other academic background
- People who sense a need for a systematic management education to realize their ultimate career goals
