2526T1 London/Course
| HOME | | COURSE | | ITINERARY | | ROLE | | TEAM | |
London and the broader UK tech scene have emerged as formidable players in the global innovation landscape. From the bustling corridors of Silicon Roundabout to the dynamic hubs in Leeds and Manchester, the UK is home to a diverse array of startups and scale-ups across sectors like AI, fintech, sustainability, and mobility. This study mission offers an immersive exploration into the UK's unique approach to entrepreneurship, where history, policy, and creativity converge to foster groundbreaking ideas.
With a startup ecosystem ranked third globally and first in Europe, the UK boasts a rich tapestry of innovation. Universities such as Cambridge, Oxford, and Imperial College London play pivotal roles in nurturing talent and spinning out ventures like PolyAI, a conversational AI company that originated from Cambridge and has secured over $120 million in funding. The UK's tech landscape is characterized by its diversity and resilience. Cities like Leeds are transforming into tech hubs, hosting events like the Leeds Digital Festival and supporting startups such as Antonym, a 3D-printing company aiming to localize manufacturing. Manchester, too, is making strides, with initiatives supporting black-founded tech startups, exemplified by entrepreneurs like Michael Adex, who aims to inspire and support underrepresented founders.
During TSM London, participants will engage with startups, visit innovative companies, explore sustainable innovations, experience fintech disruption and connect with leading academic institutions. You have the opportunities to research your favourite companies such as startuos like Mytender, an AI-powered platform founded by Southampton University undergraduates, which has raised £250,000 to revolutionize bid writing in sectors like construction and facilities management, ventures such as STAX in Glasgow, which is transforming derelict landmarks into vertical insect farms to produce sustainable animal feed, showcasing the UK's commitment to eco-friendly solutions, Fintech such as Curve Pay, challenging giants like Apple Pay by offering features like retrospective changes to payment sources and fee-free foreign transactions, and leading universities and understand how their research and talent pipelines contribute to the UK's vibrant startup ecosystem. We will have to to immerse in British culture beyond the boardrooms and labs, participants will have experience the rich cultural tapestry of the UK, from historic landmarks to contemporary art scenes.
As Peter Drucker aptly stated, "The best way to predict the future is to create it." The UK's tech ecosystem embodies this ethos, continually reinventing itself and embracing new challenges. Through this study mission, participants will gain insights into how the UK fosters innovation, supports diverse founders, and creates a conducive environment for startups to thrive. Join us in exploring the UK's dynamic tech landscape, where tradition meets innovation, and be inspired to contribute to the next wave of global technological advancements.
This course will help students
- Introduce to the entrepreneurship scene.
- Develop an understanding of the factors and ecosystem leading to a start-up.
- Aspire to be entrepreneurs and apply their findings to their own venture.
- Understand how to start a technology company.
- Build relationships with the companies we visit.
- Students will form their own teams on first day of class.
- Student teams will need to source for organization to visit.
Students will be assessed on planning, sourcing organization, in class and during the trip activities and conduct. Here is the grading criteria:
- Skills - I am better able to collaborate effectively with people of other cultures.
- Knowledge - I have gained new perspectives on intercultural, societal, and global issues.
- Network - I have broadened my network to include more contacts overseas.
- Attitude - I am better able to appreciate our interconnected world, where actions in one place have implications elsewhere.
- Attitude - I am more motivated to do my part in tackling societal and/or global issues.
- Other benefits and takeaways from your exposure to the rest of the world.
This course will be a pass/fail. To pass, you will need to get at least a B-. The grade breakdown is listed below.
| No | Time Frame | Topics | Assessment Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pre-Trip | Organization sourcing | Team | 20% |
| 2 | Plan trip | Individual | 20% | |
| 3 | Trip | Discussion and Presentation | Individual | 20% |
| 4 | Trip role/helping others | Individual | 20% | |
| 5 | Reflection | Individual | 10% | |
| 6 | All | Wiki, Blog & Photos | Individual | 10% |
Here are the assignments:
- Pre Trip
- Teams are to source for organizations to visit. Research on the organization.
- Ecosystem: background, industry, culture, ecosystem, research universities, politics, aspiration, etc. Compare ecosystem to Singapore.
- Company/founder culture/trait such as connections (companies, country, customer focus), support environment (government, business, infrastructure, society, market maturity, reputation), and personality/company culture (integrity, leadership, competitiveness, entrepreneurship, savviness, creativity, innovativeness, dynamicity, risk taking, commitment to technology, excellent communication, team spirit, fun seeking, etc). Research on this by reading books, websites or interviews. Come up with examples of company events when this trait is vital to the company. Explore this trait in some of the organization we will visit.
- Organization: background, motivation, challenges, investments/employee stock ownership plan/intellectual property, strategy/business model/IPO, culture/personalities/politics/connections, etc. Students to prepare a company brief that is due before the trip.
- SMU Library Basic ReseachTSM. You may contact XIA Wei <weixia@smu.edu.sg> if you need to get SMU library resources while doing your research.
- Individual will be assessed based on the quality of your contributions in the role you play, getting organization, helping out with the trip planning and execution.
- Teams are to source for organizations to visit. Research on the organization.
- During the Trip
- Teams will ask questions, when the opportunity presents itself. Each team will introduce their company, present the focus and recommend improvements. Each team will have a backup team to support them (taking photos, questions, follow up, etc)
- Individuals will keep a journal/blog/diary/tweet (with video, photo, links, etc.) on the discussion and company visits. Focus on learning points and reflections. Compile your journal in the individual reflection page.
- Post Trip
- Reflection on your research
- Key takeaways (2) or learning points from the organization
- Quotes from presenter/senior management/owner/founder
- Recommendation on how the trip can be improved further
All acts of academic dishonesty (including, but not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, facilitation of acts of academic dishonesty by others, unauthorized possession of exam questions, or tampering with the academic work of other students) are serious offences. All work (whether oral or written) submitted for purposes of assessment must be the student’s own work. Penalties for violation of the policy range from zero marks for the component assessment to expulsion, depending on the nature of the offense.
When in doubt, students should consult the instructors of the course. Details on the SMU Code of Academic Integrity may be accessed at http://www.smuscd.org/resources.html.
There will be several classroom meetings to organize the course, trip and research. Students will meet in classroom to present their research findings. The teams are required to update their progress using the wiki.
| Class (Week) | Topics | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Course introduction, team formation and organization assignment. | Roles, Teams and Organisation. Team and group photos. |
| 2 | Organization groupings for each team and trip planning | Trip itinerary and Organisation Grouping. |
| 4 | Inspiration from Guests! | |
| 6 | Confirm visits. | Sector Research and Contact (reorganise grouping). |
| Week 8: Break. | ||
| 11 | Present organization and itinerary (first come first serve) | Itinerary confirmation |
| 17 | Reconfirm itinerary with companies | Company brief due |
| 18 | Visit company. | Reflection |
