Home

    You are here

    • You are here:
      • Home > CRG Biobusiness School 2026

CRG Biobusiness School 2026

CRG Biobusiness School 2026CRG Biobusiness School 2026

ALL_TABS

About
CRG Biobusiness School - 11th edition
20th - 23rd & 27th April 2026
The Annual CRG BioBusiness School 2026 is a highly interactive, activity-driven learning process that takes scientists through a concentrated entrepreneurial immersion experience, aiming to instil an entrepreneurial mindset. It's designed to ignite the ability to convert lab ideas into business ones

 

Core of the program

Ever had a scientific idea but didn’t know how to turn it into a profitable business?

That’s exactly what the CRG Biobusiness School is for. Participants bring their own ideas, vote on the ones they want to pursue, and the top projects are selected for development. Based on the selected ideas, small, scientist-led teams are formed to take each project forward. Participants then work through hands-on exercises to build a real business plan and learn—step by step—how to develop a scientific venture.
The school is enriched by knowledge exchange with scientist-entrepreneurs and business experts, culminating in a Pitch Event where you present—and “sell”—your idea to invited experts and real entrepreneurs. In short: a business course by scientists, for scientists. This online, interactive workshop also provides valuable resources, including business templates and educational materials, plus a dedicated communication channel to support collaboration and maximise the training outcomes.

Download the poster

Participants benefits

You will benefit from building an entrepreneurial skillset that will give you the capacity and confidence to pinpoint the added commercial value of your research as well as to envision the creation of your own business. Independently of pursuance of the entrepreneurial path, the skills acquired throughout the course will confer participants with an advantage in the job market as these are greatly sought-after skills by the corporate, NGOs and public sector. The online format of the program widens the networking opportunities with national and international fellows, allowing you to establish bonds with other participants and invited speakers. Besides work, there will also be fun activities to keep the group stimulated and engaged.

Expectations from participants

The CRG BioBusiness School is a rewarding, exciting and intense program. We expect attendees to be fully engaged throughout the course, which includes 1 to 1.5 hours of additional knowledge dives in the evenings. There will also be an Innovation Knowledge Launchpad to be completed 2 weeks before the course starts.

Target audience

The workshop is tailored for researchers and management personnel working in life sciences.

Why join?

Tailored for Scientists: Learn how to transition your research into a viable business.
Flipped-Classroom Approach: Maximize interactive learning through pre-program exposure.
Hands-on Experience: Work on real-world challenges, validate solutions, and build a business model.
World-Class Mentorship: Gain insights from accomplished scientist-entrepreneurs.
Network & Collaboration: Connect with like-minded peers and potential collaborators.

By the end of the program, you will have refined a startup idea, built a compelling business model, and pitched it to industry experts—all while developing a new entrepreneurial mindset. Are you ready to take the leap? Apply now and start your journey from lab to market!

Working style

The workshop will be highly interactive, with plenty of small group activities, plenary discussions, teaching dialogues, and project pitching training supported by the Mashauri learning platform.

Facilitator

Simon Gifford (CEO of Mashauri).
Simon has a career spanning more than 25 years in strategy consulting; more than a decade of award-winning teaching at IE Business School and has launched a number of business ventures including Mashauri, an education platform aimed at giving students an entrepreneurial mindset through experiential learning.
This background includes acting as a coach and advisor to numerous startups and scaleups and he has had involvement with various scientific communities through the IE Accelerate Program for Scientists and Researchers and the EIT Food PhD Program for Food Scientists. The latter program should act as an excellent reference as there are many similarities between the CRG proposed BioBusiness School and this event.
Simon has significant workshop and lecturing experience through his consulting and business school work, as well as running many Mashauri programmes. He specialises in high-activity, highly participatory experiential events. 

Format

Online via Zoom

The online format of the CRG Entrepreneurship Week and BioBusiness Course provides greater accessibility, diversity, and flexibility than an on-site event, allowing participants from different countries and professional backgrounds to engage without travel barriers. This format fosters a more dynamic learning experience through live sessions and interactive discussions while enabling participants to gain insights from international experts. Additionally, the online format favors cost-effectiveness and sustainability by reducing expenses and the event’s carbon footprint. Digital tools used throughout the Biobusinesscourse enhance participants engagement, while online seminars of the Entrepreneurship week foster long-term connections and cross-border collaborations, creating a more impactful experience for the entrepreneurship community.

Testimonials from previous editions of the course

Previous editions of the course

CRG Biobusiness School 2025
CRG Biobusiness School 2024
CRG Biobusiness School 2023
CRG Biobusiness School 2022
CRG Biobusiness School 2021
CRG Biobusiness School 2018
CRG Biobusiness School 2017
CRG Biobusiness School 2016
CRG Biobusiness School 2015
CRG Biobusiness School 2014
 

Program

Program Overview

This program blends interactive online preparation with dynamic, face-to-face sessions (online or offline). Prior to the main event, participants will familiarize themselves with key digital tools*—Zoom, Mashauri, Kahoot, MIRO, and ChatGPT—to ensure seamless collaboration and engagement throughout the program.

The sessions follow a flipped-classroom approach, where foundational concepts are explored on the Mashauri platform in advance. This allows participants to dive straight into practical discussions, debates, and problem-solving activities during the live sessions. The experience is further enriched by inspiring guest speakers—scientists who have successfully transitioned into entrepreneurship—who will share their journeys, insights, and lessons learned.

*Prior to the online program, participants take part in a 1 h hands-on online working session to get experience with the tools to be used and to undertake the necessary registrations.
 

 Day 0 - April 14, 15:00-16:00 (CET), 2026

Online Technical session

 Day 1 - April 20, 2026

From Scientist to Entrepreneur
The program begins with a warm welcome and an introduction to the journey ahead. Participants will explore fundamental entrepreneurial concepts, including the Lean Startup methodology, experimentation, and risk management strategies. A keynote speaker—an accomplished scientist-turned-entrepreneur—will share insights and lessons from their own journey. The day also focuses on team development, where participants meet their collaborators and begin forming their startup teams. The core challenge of the program is introduced, and teams engage in problem definition, gaining clarity on the issue they aim to solve and crafting a compelling problem vision statement. By the end of the day, participants will have their first ideas for potential solutions.

 Day 2 - April 21, 2026

Customers, Markets & The Entrepreneurial Mindset 
With a clearer problem definition in hand, teams will refine their proposed solutions and start considering how they fit into the broader market landscape. A session on investor expectations provides early insights into what makes a compelling pitch, preparing teams for the final competition on Day 5. The day introduces key customer discovery techniques, including market segmentation, customer identification, and the Jobs-to-Be-Done framework. Participants will examine the complexities of different markets, such as navigating B2B sales cycles and addressing end-user versus payer dynamics. The day concludes with a review of the problem-customer-solution matrix, ensuring teams refine their ideas based on real-world needs.
- Solution development
- Investor presentation and entrepreneurial scientist
- Pitching competition overview
- Market segmentation & analysis
- Customer identification and Review problem-customer-solution

 Day 3 - April 22, 2026

Business Fundamentals for Scientists 
The third day focuses on equipping participants with essential business skills to build a sustainable venture. Sessions include an introduction to intellectual property management and protection strategies, helping teams understand how to safeguard their innovations. Participants will then work on pricing models, estimating market size, and competitive positioning. The Business Model Canvas is introduced as a structured framework for designing business models, allowing teams to map out how their venture creates, delivers, and captures value. By the end of the day, participants will have developed a stronger understanding of their market landscape and the key components of their business strategy.
- Intellectual property and protection
- Developing a value proposition for your venture
- Pricing products and services
- Competitive dynamics & positioning

 Day 4 - April 23, 2026

Validating Your Venture
Day 4 is dedicated to validation and financial planning. Teams will refine their business models by testing key assumptions and using prototyping and MVP development strategies to generate early customer feedback. A session on market validation experiments will help participants design practical tests to gather real-world data. Financial planning topics, including cash runway and forecasting, will be covered to ensure teams understand their financial needs. The day concludes with pitch preparation, where teams will craft compelling narratives and refine their pitch decks in anticipation of the final competition
- Business models and Developing a business model for your venture
- Developing and testing assumptions
- MVP's, prototypes and validation technique
- Cash runway and forecasting
- Pitch development

 Day 5 - April 27th, 2026

The Final Pitch & Recognition
The final day is all about pitching and celebrating progress. Teams will finalize their pitches and conduct practice runs before presenting their ventures to a panel of expert judges. The judging panel, composed of experienced entrepreneurs and investors, will share their insights and provide valuable feedback. The pitch competition will determine award winners for categories such as best overall venture, best individual participant, and audience favorite. The program concludes with reflections from both organizers and participants, celebrating achievements and awarding certificates to all who successfully complete the program.
- Recap and reflection
- Final pitch preparation
- Judging panel - experience sharing
- Pitching your venture in front of judges
- Results, feedback and awards

Events Calendar