Entrepreneurship in food & nutrition science
BIO-498 / 4 credits
Teacher(s): Feige Jérome, Lê Bur Kim Anne, Van der Beek Eline Marleen
Language: English
Withdrawal: It is not allowed to withdraw from this subject after the registration deadline.
Summary
Students will learn how nutrition science & food technology is applied to develop food products & diets to optimize health. Examples & case studies will cover novel food technologies, nutrition research on diet, macronutrients & bioactive ingredients, and regulatory & safety requirements.
Content
The course ambitions to :
-Provide fundamentals in nutrition, food sciences and food safety
-Initiate students to basics in scientific design, project management and communication/regulatory for food and nutrition R&D innovation
-Provide an integrative view on how these fundamentals are applied in an industry environment for new product development with practical examples and teamwork
Topics will be selected from societal challenges linked to nutrition and health using real life examples in areas such as maternal & infant nutrition to optimize first years of life, plant-based diets for flexi/vegetarians, sugar reduction and metabolic health, and cellular nutrition for sports nutrition & healthy aging. Knowledge and examples on nutrition science and the different steps of innovation in the food industry will be shared on the following topics:
- Nutrition science on carbohydrates, lipids, proteins & micronutrients
- Integration of food products in healthy diets
- Experimental biology for nutrition
- Discovery of novel bioactive ingredients
- Food science & technology (format, texture, taste)
- Food safety & quality
- Clinical trials in nutrition
- Intellectual property & patents
- Regulatory requirements & health claim development
- Project management (R&D sponsors & stake-holders, milestones, execution)
- Business environment & competitive landscape (markets, consumers, competitors)
- Financial market impacts for R&D (cost of goods, business models, product pricing)
Keywords
Food, nutrition, industry R&D, innovation, health, project/example-based learning, teamwork
Learning Prerequisites
Required courses
None
Recommended courses
BIO-441: Nutrition, from molecules to health
Important concepts to start the course
Solid knowledge and understanding in life sciences and a strong interest in entrepreneurship & R&D innovation
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, the student must be able to:
- Design the strategy, content and operations of a R&D innovation project in the food industry
- Translate an idea in a food innovation concept
- Organize a project team & collaborate to deliver collective results
- Pitch an opportunity & influence R&D deciders
Transversal skills
- Access and evaluate appropriate sources of information.
- Set objectives and design an action plan to reach those objectives.
- Communicate effectively with professionals from other disciplines.
- Identify the different roles that are involved in well-functioning teams and assume different roles, including leadership roles.
- Demonstrate a capacity for creativity.
- Demonstrate the capacity for critical thinking
- Make an oral presentation.
- Write a scientific or technical report.
Teaching methods
Students will be actively involved via interactive sessions to discuss examples, coaching sessions with teachers and assistants to work on a group project to develop their own R&D innovation concept for a fictive new food product, and regular pitches to mature their concept and develop an impactful communication style. In particular, the coaching sessions and discussions will guide the evolution of the project team with insight on:
- Business background & consumer insight for ideation
- Scientific strategy & research plan
- Product description & target communication
- Communication skills for pitching & influencing
- Project management & teamwork
Expected student activities
Prepare sessions to develop innovation concept and mature project proposal
Live interactions during courses with entrepreneur and proactive mindset
Teamwork & practice project management fundamentals
Practice oral pitches every 3-4 weeks
Assessment methods
Evaluation at the end of the semester on:Team project with written report and oral presentation
- Personal learnings and impact statement
Supervision
| Assistants | Yes |
In the programs
- Semester: Spring
- Exam form: During the semester (summer session)
- Subject examined: Entrepreneurship in food & nutrition science
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Spring
- Exam form: During the semester (summer session)
- Subject examined: Entrepreneurship in food & nutrition science
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Spring
- Exam form: During the semester (summer session)
- Subject examined: Entrepreneurship in food & nutrition science
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Spring
- Exam form: During the semester (summer session)
- Subject examined: Entrepreneurship in food & nutrition science
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional