Description:

We provide two types of projects: incubateXfuture (master students) and accelerateXfuture (bachelor students)

For both project types, students may become members of the Place Beyond Byte (i.e., workplace, equipment, infrastructure when needed).

A) incubateXfuture: Build your own digital product or service for Good - Master students

This student project is open for master students at Faculty of Computer Science, and for students of other faculties (E3). The projects are focused on taking the first steps towards producing a digital venture that helps to solve societies’ most pressing issues, the sustainable development goals. Small teams of three to five students explore pressing problems and create a potential solution in the form of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). They develop a business model (Teece, 2010) for their solution and use the MVP to validate core assumptions of this business model (Blank, 2013). 

As part of the project, you will take part in the Startup Olympics that take place over a weekend in April, 26th-28th of April. The participation is mandatory. Participation fee is covered for students in this course.

The Startup Olympics require a weekend-long full-day commitment from all students. The benefits from this are great: mentoring, support and workshops on business plan and concept modelling, pitching and marketing.

These are the preliminary dates for meetings in person (room tba):

• 10th of April, 10:45-12:00h (please meet at 10h to prepare - info in Email follows)
• 17th of April, 10-12h
• 24th of April, 10-12h
• 26th - 28th of April, Startup Olympics
• 29th of May, Mid-Term evaluation (graded)
• 17th of July, final presentation (graded)

Optional 1:1 dates will be offered in May/June. 
For the sessions in April and May, we'll have the room in Weststadttürme - WST-A.01.04

What happens with my/our ideas afterwards?
To receive continued support and develop your idea further after the semester, you can apply at Place Beyond Bytes. There, you benefit from working spaces and facilities, a growing network and access to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Ruhr area, specifically Duisburg and Essen, a growing co-creation space for young, like-minded entrepreneurial students as well as support and access to digital technologies and knowledge and support with these (e. g. GPU clusters, ML- and other AI-related knowledge). Workshops, consultation and exchange with other (student) entrepreneurs will be offered as well.

This course allows you to collect credits for the Sustainable Education Certificate (BNE)

B) accelerateXfuture: Expand an existing digital product or service for Good - Bachelor students

This semester, we provide projects with the following partners.

1. 
   We design a mobile application with CHANGE CLUBS - a non-commercial entity that helps individuals live a more sustainable life.

Teamwork, co-creation, impact. 

Information on first session and process will follow in April. 

If you have any questions, please contact us.

Methods of Assessment:

see module handbook

Formalities:

Master:
The module includes a module-related examination on a topic related to information systems, which is determined at the beginning of the project. As a rule, the module-related examination consists of the following forms of examination: written paper (approx. 30 to 60 pages; approx. 60% of the grade) and presentations (approx. 10 to 30 minutes each; approx. 40% of the grade). More info in first session.

Bachelor:
There is a module-related examination for the module on a topic related to business informatics, which is determined at the beginning of the project. As a rule, the module-related examination comprises the following forms of examination: written paper (approx. 20 to 50 pages; approx. 60% of the grade) and presentation (approx. 15 to 45 minutes; approx. 40% of the grade).