Enhancing Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship Through an Entrepreneurial Fellowship Program.

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to study how the BioMedical Design Programme affects and shapes individual development, group work dynamics among participating fellows and, through these, innovation processes and outcomes. Drawing on surveys of fellows in the period 2018-2023, it examines changes in fellows' perceived levels of creativity and entrepreneurship and the role of team dynamics through surveys conducted before and after the fellowship. The program led to perceived improvements in being creative, problem solving, collaborating, utilizing networks, and in taking risks. However, at the same time, the program left fellows with a deeper understanding of and respect for the challenges in creating a start-up. One year after the program, fellows reported benefits for their new employment or for their continued start-up ambitions, where around 60% were still involved in an entrepreneurial project. Our results confirm earlier work that shows that entrepreneurial education programs have a positive impact on entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions, where we are also able to explore in greater depth the ways in which the program impacted participating fellows.