Advanced Master in Biotech and MedTech Ventures
Who is the programme aimed at?
Profile
This programme welcomes recent Master’s or PhD graduates and junior professionals from all disciplines, with an entrepreneurial spirit and the ambition to acquire the in-depth knowledge and business acumen needed to take on a (C-level) executive role in an early-stage Biotech or MedTech company.
The Advanced Master’s programme allows you to gain extensive, hands-on experience in interactive classes taught by industry experts, as well as in a real-life setting through an internship and capstone project.
Key admissions criteria
- Master’s or PhD degree from a recognised institution (you may apply during your final year of study)
- Young professionals looking to transition into a management position
- English Proficiency
Your benefits
As a C-level executive in a Biotech or MedTech start-up, the future of the company is in your hands. In addition to creating value for investors or shareholders, bringing your therapeutics or medical devices to the market can have a tremendous impact on the health and quality-of-life of patients across the world.
The Advanced Master in Biotech & MedTech Ventures is co-developed with key academic and industry partners from the Belgian & international life sciences ecosystem. Thanks to this unique collaboration, 75% of classes are taught by industry leaders, giving you direct and exclusive access to a wealth of expertise.
This Advanced Master has a unique focus on developing the technical and business-oriented skills needed to lead early-stage Biotech and MedTech companies to success. You will learn how to develop a product, build a team, secure different types of funding to support the company’s growth, build a sustainable business model that balances profitability with societal impact, and much more.
The curriculum is divided into 5 modules corresponding to the development phases in the early life cycle of a Biotech or MedTech company. You will learn how to address the specific managerial challenges of each of these phases in practical use cases and assignments. Your newly acquired skills will also be put to the test in a real-life setting in an internship and a capstone assignment.
The extensive hands-on experience gained in the programme will enable you to transition seamlessly into a leadership position upon graduation.
To be able to manage a company successfully, you will need more than a solid scientific basis and business acumen. The programme will also help you to develop your soft skills, enabling you to communicate effectively and build strong personal relationships with your team, investors, clients, or other business contacts.
The success of our thriving Belgian life sciences ecosystem leads to a clear shortage of entrepreneurial talent capable of taking on (C-level) management positions. This means graduates will be in great demand.
Our career service will also help you in building your career. In addition to providing a direct link to the industry, our dynamic team will assist you in realising your full potential through a wide range of seminars, coaching sessions, workshops, events, and other resources.
Connect with Belgian & international life sciences leaders of today as they teach your classes; forge a strong bond with your fellow classmates who will join you as the industry leaders of tomorrow.
Become part of the Solvay Alumni Network, one of the largest business networks in Belgium and beyond,-with members in more than 65 countries around the world. Participate in its events, expand your network, and never stop learning and evolving.
The number of students in each class is intentionally kept small, ensuring maximum participation for each student, a personal interaction with the faculty, and easy access to the Advanced Masters academic or administration team.
Experience our teaching methods: hands-on and participant-centred. Courses are mainly structured into real case studies, workshops, seminars, simulations, presentations, group work, field projects, company visits and on-the-job learning.
Diversity in class in terms of gender, academic background and culture enhances your student experience. Benefit from our international faculty and the multicultural environment you will be studying in, right at the heart of Europe.
Overview of the programme
The Advanced Master in Biotech & MedTech Ventures helps you develop the skill-set needed to manage early-stage, tech-driven companies. You will acquire a deep understanding of what it takes to develop an innovative idea into a market-ready product, how to attract the necessary funding, and how to build a successful business from both a strategic and an organisational perspective.
Curriculum
1 . Fundamental concepts
Date: 16th to 27th September 2023
2 . Initiating Product Development | Seed Stage Funding
Date: 25th November to 6th December 2023
3 . Initiating Clinical Development | Series A Funding
Date: 27th January to 7th of February 2024
4 . Consolidating the Company and the Governance | Series B funding
Date: 6th to 17th April 2024
5 . Finalising the Clinical Development | Preparing Market Access
Date: 8th to 19th June 2024
More programme features
ADMISSION PROCEDURE:
1- Complete and submit the online application form together with the required documents (there is no application fee).
2- If eligible, an interview with the Academic Director will be scheduled.
3- After the interview, you will be asked to submit a short essay in English on a subject agreed with the Academic Director.
4- Receive feedback on your admission. If positive, you will have 2 weeks to finalise your registration by paying a deposit of €2000.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR APPLICATION:
- Online application form (inclusive of a cover letter)
- CV
- Copies of University degree(s) and of all academic transcripts
- Copy of ID/Passport
- Profile picture
All documents have to be provided in English.
If the applicant deems it relevant, he/she can support the application with:
- Letters of reference
- Proof of English proficiency for non-native speakers
- Any other certificate (GMAT, GRE, etc.)
Participants.
I was very impressed by the consistency of the input I received from the industry leaders I contacted when working on developing the content of this Advanced Master.
All of them declared this programme really matches what the ecosystem needs and confirmed the current Belgian and international shortage of young talents for the management of the Biotech & MedTech industry.
Some of them even stated they would have been very privileged to attend this course at the beginning of their career instead of learning everything on the job.
This truly unique programme covers all key competencies necessary to drive the different stages of a Biotech or MedTech venture in a successful way. There is a great unmet need for talented individuals combining these competencies with a passion for life sciences and therapeutic innovation.
I’m impressed by both the scope and the depth of the curriculum. What the students will learn in this intensive one-year programme would otherwise take years of on-the-job training, giving them a significant head start in their careers. I only wish such an Advanced Master existed when I started my career some 30 years ago.
Like many other industry people supporting the programme, I am pleased for this opportunity to share my 40 years of experience and expertise in life sciences with the students. The insider perspectives and “lessons learned” we share, will help them in making the right decisions throughout their careers.
The I3h Institute is very pleased to contribute to this unique Advanced Master programme targeted toward the next generation of healthcare professionals, building on its expertise in Interdisciplinary Healthcare Innovation training.
During the COVID crisis, Belgium revealed the strength of its bio-pharma ecosystem. Players in the sector (whether start-ups or established industrial players) are constantly looking for new talents. Not only scientific profiles but also managerial profiles with key competencies and knowledge of the sector. The Solvay Brussels Schools programme is designed specifically to fill this gap and is fully in line with the sector's development priorities.
Lecturers
Our sponsors
Leading Belgian French-speaking business school
Any questions?
After graduation, you will be capable of transitioning seamlessly into a C-level management position at an early-stage Biotech or MedTech company.
"Advanced Master in Biotech and MedTech Ventures” university certificate delivered by Solvay Brussels School of Economics & Management – Université libre de Bruxelles.