Information on individual educational components (ECTS-Course descriptions) per semester

• Intensive interdisciplinary collaboration on a shared business idea.
• Direct transfer of acquired knowledge into practical implementation.
• Individual coaching from initial idea to a full business concept.
• Pitching in front of experts, and an interdisciplinary audience.
• Peer-learning opportunities and iterative feedback loops.
• Engagement with the startup community and access to a broad startup ecosystem.
• A potential starting point for a successful entrepreneurial venture.
• An opportunity to create real impact in society and the economy through your own idea.

Time slot: Thursday, 26. November 2026, from 6 pm and Intensive training week (= Blockwoche) 14-16 December 2026 

For the intensive training week, continuous attendance must be ensured, and time for group work should be scheduled for Monday and Tuesday evening. 

Before the start of the course, preparatory course tasks will be sent to participants by email.

Course language: English

Course occupancy: Minimum 9 persons / maximum 21 persons

Course costs: None

Sustainability: SDG 9 - support innovations

FHV Future Skills: Emphasize Adaptability, Encourage Collaboration & Cooperation 

Registration: From 1 to 10 June 2026 in A5 under ‘Course selection’. If a late booking is required, please contact sabine.frick@fhv.at.

• Creativity techniques for idea generation
• Designing customer value propositions 
• Developing real startup ideas using the Lean Startup method
• Pitch Training

Within this interdisciplinary and highly interactive course, students acquire the skills and tools to create startup ideas, test them using the Lean Startup method, and successfully present them to relevant stakeholders. They consolidate their results in a compelling business concept and pitch. Students are aware of the special challenges startups face and are able to address and manage them.

Understanding

• Students understand the development process of new startup ideas.
• Students are aware of the particular challenges of startups and can explain them.

Apply

• Students are able to develop convincing and distinctive customer value propositions and present/pitch them.
• Students can validate business model hypotheses using the Lean Startup method.

Design
Students have the right attitude of mind and the tools to develop suitable business models for new business ideas.

• Discussions and educational talks
• Project coaching
• Presentations by students in small groups

• Final presentation as a group, 50 % of the grade
• Final report as a group, 50 % of the grade

This course is a good starting point for the Startup Vorarlberg incubation programme. 

For further questions regarding content please contact: magdalena.meusburger@fhv.at 

• Blank, Steve; Dorf Bob (2012): The Startup Owners Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company. Pescadero, CA: K&S Ranch Press.
• Osterwalder, Alexander; Pigneur Yves; Bernarda Gregory; Smith Alan (2014): Value Proposition Design: How to Create Products and Services Customers Want. Hoboken, New Jersey: Jon Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• Osterwalder, Alexander; Pigneur Yves (2010): Business Model Generation. A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers. Hoboken, New Jersey: Jon Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• Blank, Steve (2013): Why the Lean Start-Up changes everything. Harvard Business Review.

Optional:

• Furr, Nathan; Dyer Jeff (2014): The Innovator’s Method – Bringing the Lean Startup into your Organisation. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review Press.
• Ries, Eric (2011): The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses. New York: Crown Business.

Face-to-face course with attendance expected  

Within the framework of this interdisciplinary and interactive course, students learn the tools needed to successfully develop and implement their business idea in a real-life application situation. The students work in a team on a real innovation project. They can contribute their own business idea or use a given idea from an external partner. They will be supported step by step to create a convincing and innovative business model, to test it with the Lean Startup Method and to present it successfully. You bring the results together in a meaningful business concept. The students are aware of the special challenges of startups (= organisations looking for their business model) and can master them.

Characteristics:

• Intensive, interdisciplinary cooperation on a common business idea.
• Direct transfer from what has been learned to its implementation.
• Individual coaching from the idea to the business concept.
• Peer learning opportunities and feedback loops.
• Pitches for female and male investors, experts and an interdisciplinary audience.
• Interaction in the startup community and access to a broad startup ecosystem.
• Possible starting point for a successful business start-up.
• Opportunity to bring about a real change in society and the economy with one's own idea.