• Apply now
  • Download Brochure

Deep Tech Entrepreneurship

Deep Tech startups, i.e. startups having a solid background in new science and engineering technologies, are getting more and more interest among investors and policy makers. According to the 2023 European Deep Tech Report (https://dealroom.co/uploaded/2023/11/The-European-Deep-Tech-Report-2023.pdf?x26981), deep tech is amongst the most resilient VC categories, with almost $15bn YTD 2023 and Europe has good chance to be a global hub for Deep Tech excellence. Furthermore, according to a recent study of Boston Consulting Group (An investor Guide to Deep Tech, 2023) deep tech investments account for a stable 20% of the global VC founding and show amongst the highest investment return rate, i.e. 26%.

However, deep tech startups have different profiles than other tech startups: they are deeply grasped on applied research, teams include scientists, and they have a different risk profile and development path. The school aims at providing specific insights to who are interested in dealing with deep tech startups.

Main Topics

The purpose of the school is leveraging on deep tech knowledge of Master and PhD students, young researchers and professionals for crafting an entrepreneurial experience designed for deep tech companies. The programme will be designed around three main pillars: deep tech promising innovation trends, deep tech entrepreneurship knowledge, deep tech entrepreneurship finance. The summer school will encompass all the deep-tech technologies trends with particular focus on AI, smart-grids, aerospace, CRISPR technologies. The first pillar will provide participants with the most promising research streams within the focused technology able to generate disruptive innovations. The second pillar will provide participants with the needed information for developing a comprehensive business model around the smart grid technologies. Finally, the last pillar will provide knowledge about how to fund a deep tech startup. The programme will involve expert of the technologies, deep tech start-uppers, expert of tech entrepreneurship and professional of the venture capital market. Participants will be involved in a challenge consisting in developing the business model of a deep tech startup within smart grid technology and the path for achieving funds. The business idea will be developed by groups of participants, so that they will be involved team working. At the end of the week, each group will present a pitch about their tech business idea to a committee of experts. The winning team will receive a recognition award.

We look forward to greeting and having an engaging and insightful experience for our University of Palermo summer school participants.

Intended Audience

The Summer School is open to Master and PhD students, young researchers and professionals in science and engineering, but also in business disciplines. This will allow us to have a multidisciplinary class and leveraging on different knowledge background to stimulate the creative strength of participants. Students will be immersed in a challenging environment where technology, research and business are mixed up together for crafting new ideas and business models of deep tech startups.

As the programme has a focus on business innovation and entrepreneurship, there is no need to have specific technical backgrounds or any coding knowledge to join our Autumn School.

Location

The Summer School takes place at the University of Palermo Campus that is very close to the center of the city and to the UNESCO heritage locations. The University of Palermo is the biggest in Sicily and the 7th larger in Italy. Within the campus, students will have the opportunity to visit research laboratories and be immersed in an exciting ecosystem.

The city center of Palermo can be reached within 15 minutes by walking. Palermo is a UNESCO Heritage city, and the most beautiful attraction such as the Cathedral, Real Palace, Cappella Palatina are at a walking distance from the university campus. Furthermore, Palermo has a wonderful sea sight landscape such as the Mondello Beach, that is very famous for the Windsurf World Festival, that can be easily reached by public transportation from the city center. Finally, Palermo is a very reputed for the excellence of the food. The first week of November is referred in Sicily as the San Martino Summer, because usually the weather is excellent and it is still possible to swim on the see.

Accommodation

Palermo being a touristic city, offers several kinds of accommodation both in hotel and in bed and breakfast. Here the accommodations that are located at walking distance (within 20 min) to the Autumn School venue:

Contact information

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Apply Now

Scroll up

Co-Funded by the European Union