Final year Executive MBA students taking the Entrepreneurship and Innovation elective with Dr Nathaniel Massa at the Faculty of Economics, Management & Accountancy, have recently completed their feasibility analysis project pertaining to an identified start-up business idea or intrapreneurial concept.
This semester-long, team-based business start-up project formed an integral part of the elective. It entailed identifying a novel business idea or concept targeting a market need or value generation potential. Following fine-tuning, the FEMA MBA participants worked in teams respectively researching and undertaking a full feasibility analysis under the guidance of Dr Massa.
Deliverables included submitting a comprehensive feasibility report and delivering a final presentation pitch including in some cases working prototypes or live demos. The international class forming this year’s Executive MBA cohort, which also included participants from the MA in Insurance and Risk Management programme, engaged in extensive research. In various instances they conducted surveys, focus groups and leveraged contacts and professional networks, including technical expertise. This was undertaken to assess product, market, organisational and financial feasibility, as well as analyse the competitiveness dynamics for their business start-up concepts.
During the semester, the FEMA MBA start-up project teams had the opportunity to stress-test and present their early stage ideas to a panel of seasoned professionals active in the entrepreneurship scene hailing from areas associated with mentoring, foresight and creativity, knowledge management and IP, crowdfunding, and business consulting – at a Global Entrepreneurship Week event – part of a broader international network spanning 170+ countries powered by the Kauffman Foundation, locally hosted by the Edward Debono Institute at the University of Malta. The MBA participants were also invited by TAKEOFF, UM’s incubator to attend MedFest, an international event featuring invited speakers from the start-up scene, and showcasing entrepreneurs with innovative business concepts in live pitches seeking to raise equity finance from business angel investors.
This year’s Executive MBA business start-up concepts ranged across a spread of lifestyle and convenience-oriented related services, onto tech-based app and mobility solutions.
Following this MBA entrepreneurship project, several participants are now looking into the prospects of possibly taking their enterprise idea further.
_________________
Executive MBA programme
Participants on FEMA’s Executive MBA programme are mostly professionals active in industry and various enterprise sectors, generally in management and executive positions, as well as practitioners in specialist and technical roles. Their exposure and diverse experiential knowledge contributes to the applied learning environment fostered by FEMA and its multi-faceted team of experts and engaged practicing faculty on this part-time evening Masters programme.
The programme is tailored for practicing professionals, managers, executives and others aspiring to stretch their competencies and extend their skill-sets, strategic foresight, execution and leadership capability. Beyond prospecting higher positions of responsibility within corporate environments, the FEMA Executive MBA also offers participants a sound foundation and critical insight towards effectively growing, and running one’s own business in increasingly competitive, globalised contexts.
For further enquiries on the Executive MBA programme at the Faculty of Economics, Management & Accountancy (FEMA) at the University of Malta, contact Ms Sandra Said Zammit on 2340 2702 or via email.
