ESADE’s heritage in entrepreneurship makes the subject a mandatory course in the MBA curriculum. Its transcendental value has become a raison d’être and a philosophy that impregnates our daily activities. With a focus on developing business acumen, our entrepreneurship course helps candidates fine tune their abilities to detect and transform new business opportunities into viable business plans.
Whether from a business start-up perspective or an “intrapreneurial” initiative within an existing company, the course seeks to structure the “entrepreneurship process” and turn candidate ideas into sellable and convincing business plans. Within a globalised context, the course addresses the critical challenges, opportunities and threats entrepreneurs can expect to face.
Throughout the course, candidates receive guidance from the Lecturing Team and Tutors at the ESADE Entrepreneurship Centre (CINEM). Bringing experts from diverse areas to offer entrepreneurs the relevant multidisciplinary training, CINEM includes 15 lecturers and 40 tutors.
ESADE offers ongoing activities to nurture its entrepreneurial spirit and bring entrepreneurs closer to the realities of the business world which include:
- The ESADE MBA New Business Project Competition. In addition to the theoretical content of the entrepreneurship course, MBA participants must present a company project that is submitted to the annual competition organised by CINEM. In recognition of the best business plan, the MBA Business Creation Prize is awarded to the winning students.
- The FORAD Award organised in partnership with the Financial Times, for the best simulation of a start-up process.
- The Entrepreneurs’ Forum organised by ESADE’s Alumni Association and CINEM to help new companies find the funding they need during the early stages of their existence. The event is a meeting point between ESADE entrepreneurs and potential investors interested in innovative projects with high growth potential.
Additionally, in order to provide ESADE entrepreneurs with the necessary resources to give impetus to their projects, ESADE also holds on-going agreements with capital-risk companies, incubators, technology parks, investors and governments. For example, ESADE’s agreement with the Catalan Government’s Centre for Innovation and Business Development (CIDEM) finances up to 60% of participants’ new business projects.
