Timeline
20 February: Application opens
1 April: Application deadline
30 April: Selection panel
22 July to 23 August: CESP
Why CESP?
Creating the important link between entrepreneurship and fundamental research
In the pursuit of its fundamental research mission, CERN has often had to develop innovative technologies, which in turn have been used to create many new products and services in areas as diverse as library management, solar collectors, medical and biomedical technologies, aerospace applications, safety processes, the environment and others, through established companies and start-ups.
There is an increasing focus on entrepreneurship as an important factor for employability and economic growth, and entrepreneurship education is receiving an increased emphasis in Europe from primary to secondary school. Emerging from this phenomenon is the need for high-quality hands-on training in entrepreneurship, which can complement and reinforce the theoretical education basis offered during university studies.
This need has been identified by CERN and assigned a technological dimension aiming at extending the benefits of CERN’s expertise and knowledge in this field to the younger generations of entrepreneurs. Promoting high-tech entrepreneurship to a younger generation is a natural evolution of the innovative activities that are already taking place at CERN.
CESP participants in action (Image: Simon Olofsson/CERN)
CERN is uniquely placed to successfully deliver this goal, being able to provide a high-quality scientific environment with access to the latest technological equipment. New technologies are constantly refined and developed, and together with an open culture, this allows students to interact with inventors and technical experts - promoting equal access to knowledge and excellence. Finally, the CERN Knowledge Transfer Group has wide experience in technology transfer and intellectual property management, as well as in entrepreneurship education programmes.
“This programme has had a big impact on my future plans. Being at CERN and meeting great people has motivated me to have big dreams!”
- Participant of CESP 2018
How?
CESP consists of a five-week residency at CERN, during which the students will stay full time on site. 15 students will be selected for the second version of CESP during the summer of 2019. The students will plunge into CERN technologies, explore potential avenues and identify exploitable ones.
1 - Explore
The first week will focus on introducing the students to CERN through a series of lectures and tours, as well as technology identification, through which the students will interact with CERN personnel to identify potential new technologies through feasibility studies.
2 - Evaluate
The students will work on evaluating the commercial potential of technologies, emphasising the possibility of exploitation through a start-up company. During this period they will receive coaching in idea evaluation.
3- Exploit
The students will start to develop a plan on how to commercialise the technology they have chosen in the evaluation phase through market assessments and business plan evaluation. If applicable, they will also start building a product prototype. The students will receive relevant coaching.
“I really enjoyed every day of CESP. I think we had a great mixture of workshops, technological presentations, social events and group work. We were a small group where all of us had something to learn from each other, and we’ve been like a family for these weeks.”
- CESP 2018 participant
The programme will consist of two distinct elements:
- Internal training from CERN Knowledge Transfer Group: Members of the CERN Knowledge Transfer Group will provide day-to-day coaching on technology entrepreneurship. Subsequently, a CERN Knowledge Transfer Officer (KTO) will be assigned to each participant based on the technology domain he/she has chosen to work with and will also introduce and coach them in this specific domain.
- Training from external experts: In addition, training sessions will be offered in various fields by relevant external experts.
Costs
The CESP will be free of charge for the participating students as the programme is funded by Strangeworks, a Quantum Computing Company, and other donors. The participants will receive an allowance that should be enough to cover meals during the stay and travel to get to CERN, and accommodation will be covered by the organisers. This ensures an equal opportunity regardless of their nationality, gender, race or religion to participate in a high-quality training programme.
However, the allowance will not be received before the end of the programme. Each participant must hence ensure he/she has the adequate financial resources to cover meals and travel to CERN before the allowance is received.
Each participant must ensure that he or she has health and accident insurance that is adequate for the CERN region (Switzerland/France).
