The aim of this course is to provide students with the basic concepts for the analysis of the economic system and the strategic behavior of firms that compose the theoretical fundamentals of the Business Economics, after a brief recall of the basic principles of Macro and Micro Economics.
The course also aims to provide students with the knowledge of the phenomenon of the creation of new businesses, particularly in addressing the issues related to the process of start-ups and spin-offs. To this end, it places special emphasis to the analysis of economic and financial feasibility of new business initiatives through the instrument of the business plan, as well as to the management, to the transfer and protection of innovation and technological knowledge, focusing on the law and practice relating to patents and know-how.

1)     Basic concepts of micro and macro economics
Economic theory: the economic problem
Markets, supply and demand
Forms of market
Macroeconomic issues (macroeconomic objectives; circular flow of income, economic growth and the economic cycle, aggregate demand and supply).

2)    Fundamentals of business economics
   -Business Economics: General principles

    The Economic Sciences

    The definition of a company, classes and types of companies
    The systemic view of the company
  -The elements (sub-systems) of the company:
    People (organization)
    Assets (capital)
    Operations (the management)
  -The economic balance

   The concepts of cost, revenue and income

   The break-even point (BEP)
   Financial needs,  sources of funding and financial structure of a company
3) The creation of a new enterprise

    New businesses and new entrepreneurs

    Contexts and environmental conditions for the development of entrepreneurship
    matiche, anche attraverso lampanyursonomics and management Laws in support of the new entrepreneurial initiatives
   From research & development to the creation of a spin-off and a new venture.

4)   The business plan

   Purposes, utility, functions
   Structure and content of the business plan
   Summary of the business project

5)   Patents and  Know-how; Technological transfer

  How to manage the technological and innovative assets of a company
 Patents: types of patents, types of protection and laws; national and international   patenting.
  Know-how and protection of company secrecy

Not existing.

The student must show an understanding of the concepts and theories provided by the course; he must be able to identify and interpret the business problems in the start-up stage and during the life of the business.
The student must show the possession of the ability to use knowledge and concepts that allow to reason according to economic logic business.
The student will be able to identify the relevant factors for the start-up of a company  and to assess the entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviors for the entrepreneurial activity, as well as the external and environmental factors which affect the business activity and the weaknesses and strengths of the business idea.
The student must be able in particular, to interpret and formulate the business plan related to a new business venture or new investments and to identify the suitable forms and financial channels and resources.
The student must show an understanding of the provisions governing the protection of patents and know-how and to assess the choice of the appropriate form of protection of intellectual and industrial inventions.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Lectures, seminars to deepen specific topics, through team-works, working groups, focus groups and in-depth papers analysis.

In order to facilitate the preparation of the exam, students can download from the Moodle Platform and consult all  the material used during the lessons and organized in 5 ppt presentations on teaching modules (Mod 1: = Economics; Mod 2 =Business Economics; Mod. 3= New business creation, start-up, spin-off and business plans; Mod 4 = Technology Transfer; Mod. 5= Patents and Know-how.)
A copy of the textbook (of the relevant paragraphs of reference) is available at the secretary's office.
Further supplementary material will be made available by the teacher in either electronic or paper format during the lessons.

Teaching

Lectures, seminars to deepen specific topics, through team-works, working groups, focus groups and in-depth papers analysis.

Attendance

Attendance is not mandatory. However it is strongly recommended.

Course books

Texts of study required

1) J. Sloman, Elementi di economia, Il Mulino, Bo, 2002, Chapters: Introduction; Chapter 1; Chapter 5;

2) M. Paoloni, P. Paoloni, Introduzione ed orientamento allo studio delle Aziende, Giappichelli, To, 2009.

3) Costa C., Baldini C., Plebani R., Marchi, brevetti, know-how e licencing, Centro Estero Camere Commercio lombarde, Milano, IIIa ed., 2003. Chapter  I up on page 27. Chapter  III, Chapter IV.

4) R. Parente, Creazione e sviluppo dell’impresa innovativa, Giappichelli, Torino, 2004. Chapters: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. (are therefore excluded the parts of the program contained in the pages 160-162 and 172-185).

5) G.F. Campobasso, Manuale di Diritto Commerciale, Utet Giuridica, Torino, 2010. Chapter 7 (Opere dell’ingegno. Invenzioni industriali) pages  85-94.

6) A. Costa, Competitività e Spin-off, Cacucci Ed., Bari, 2000, Chpater one, from p. 32 to  p. 59.

Further reading and consultation Texts

• D. Begg, S.Fischer, R. Dornbusch, Introduzione all'economia. Gli operatori, i mercati e il sistema economico. Hoepli.
Milano 2006 Capp. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12.
• V. Mangini, Manuale breve di diritto industriale, Cedam, Padova,IIa ed., 2005

Assessment

Written test (including both open questions and closed questions for a total of 15 questions to be completed during one hour and a quarter) aimed at assessing students’ knowledge relative to the first two parts of the program (Macro and Microeconomics and Business Economics), that is units 1 and 2. Each question is assigned a score of 2, for a total of 30 points.Exceeding the written  test (obtaining a score at least equal to 18/30) is required to access the oral examination.
Oral test is based on the remaining parts of the program.The oral examination consists of questions (minimum 3; maximum 5) to verify the knowledge of the topics discussed in the course. Also for oral questions the maximum score is 30/30. The student must answer the open questions in an articulated and in-depth way, in order to demonstrate: to have mastered the concepts introduced during the course.

The overall assessment of the student's level of preparation will be made taking into account the evaluation of the two tests (written and oral)

The students can: 1) perform the written test and the oral exam on the same day / exam session, thus complete in the same day the exam or 2) hold the oral test in a subsequent session, but not later than the further semester.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Non-Attending students could use the same training materials adopted for attending students. Accordingly, the same  methods of verification will be adopted.

The student can request to sit the final exam in English with an alternative bibliography.