Summary
Mario Draghi, former President of the European Central Bank (ECB) put it very bluntly in his Sep. 2025 report: Europe’s growth model is fading. He points to 3 necessary priorities- one of which is closing the innovation gap in advanced
technologies (such as life science).
- What if the next major breakthrough in healthcare isn’t scientific – but strategic?
- And what if leadership, AI and partnerships are the real enablers of innovation?
Innovation in life science is no longer driven by research alone. It requires leaders who can navigate complexity, leverage emerging technologies like generative AI, and build strategic alliances across sectors.
Atrium and CBS Executive Foundation have joined forces for this Masterclass, which is an intensive 3-day program designed for experienced professionals with a STEM background, who want to strengthen their strategic innovation capabilities and gain insights into how to be a catalyst of change in their organization.
Through keynotes, industry specific and research-based training, case-presentations, and action learning, you will work with real-world challenges and solutions from the life science industry, while expanding your professional network with peers from across the healthcare sector.
Keywords
Strategic Innovation leadership
Gen. AI, data science, and digital Tech
Public- private partnerships in healthcare
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Course leader & lecturers
- Susie A. RuffCourse leaderCEO
Ruff & Co - Bernt Johan Illum Von ScholtenLecturerSenior Vice President, Data Science
Novo Nordisk A/S - Max von ZedtwitzLecturerProfessor with special responsibilities
Copenhagen Business School - Aryan DargahiLecturerJunior Analyst
Novo Holdings A/S - Frederik NielsenLecturerHealthcare Partnership Director
Novartis Healthcare A/S - Malene FischerLecturerDeputy Chief Executive - Research, Innovation & Education
Region Hovedstaden - Iacomo MarchesiniLecturerAss. Professor, Dep. Strategy & Innovation
Copenhagen Business School
Is this course for you?
This modular course is for the experienced professional who is responsible for or has an interest in innovation, digital, or organisational transformation in a life science or healthcare organisation.
What you will learn
- How business innovation leadership and enterprise thinking can accelerate the development of new solutions.
- How AI and Tech are transforming research, clinical trials, and product development and how we work.
- How public-private partnerships in healthcare can open new pathways for scalable innovation and improved patient outcomes.
What your company will get
- An employee who knows the key innovation leadership concepts and governance models used in the life science industry and in healthcare.
- An employee who is up-to-date with how Gen. Ai and Tech is applied successfully in Pharma and Healthcare
- An employee who understands how public-private partnerships can be a viable pathway for scalable innovation and improved patient outcomes.
Course calendar
Day 1
Keynote: Investor perspective: The Major forces of transformation in the Life Science industry – opportunities and challenges
Innovation Leadership in Life Science
- Innovation challenges and leadership
- Understanding open innovation
Strategizing Innovation
- Making strategic choices for innovation
- Ecosystem drivers for innovation
- Developing innovation strategies
Organizing innovation
Organizational designs for innovation
By Giacomo Marchesini, Ass. Professor, Dep. Strategy & Innovation, CBS
Action learning and group work:
Mapping innovation enablers and blockers
By Giacomo Marchesini, Ass. Professor, Dep. Strategy & Innovation, CBS
Day 2
Keynote: AI in Life Science – the current landscape and what the future might look like
- Current medical use cases with focus on solutions with clinical data
- Key challenges in development and implementation
- Ethical considerations
- AI in drug development – primarily for clinical studies
- Future prospects and key players
By Aryan Dargahi, Co-author, book: AI in healthcare (in Danish only) and MD, Junior Analyst, Novo Seeds, Novo Holdings
Tech Adoption – from Disruption to Integration
- Mapping tech opportunities: Innovation Radar
- Nurturing, Developing and Capturing Ideas
By Giacomo Marchesini, Ass. Professor, Dep. Strategy & Innovation, CBS
Data Science for Innovation in the Pharmaceutical Industry
- Brief introduction to ‘Data Science’
- Why is Data Science needed in the pharmaceutical industry?
- What is currently cooking in the Data Science space at Novo Nordisk
By Bernt Johan Illum von Scholten, Senior Vice President, Data Orchestration, Data Science at Novo Nordisk A/S
Action learning and Group work:
On Data Science and Tech as an enabler for Innovation
By Giacomo Marchesini, Ass. professor CBS and Susie A. Ruff, course leader
Day 3
Keynote: Key learnings from Patient pathway project- a public-private partnership in DK
By Frederik Knud Nielsen, Director of public-Private Partnerships, Novartis Healthcare A/S
Strategic Partnerships – how can they contribute to cutting edge innovation in healthcare?
- Best practices in managing partnerships
- Orchestrating partnerships
By Prof. Max von Zedtwitz, Department of International Economics, Government and Business CBS
Innovation via Partnerships in a hospital setting - fireside talk with Malene Fischer, MD, PhD, Deputy Chief Executive - Research, Innovation & Education, Rigshospitalet
Action learning and group work on Public- private partnerships in healthcare
By Prof. Max von Zedtwitz and Susie A. Ruff
Wrap up of Masterclass
Registration
Registration deadline18 Feb 2026
Lersø Parkallé 101
2100 København Ø
Course information
Literature
Prior to the course you get access to mandatory and/or optional readings via your personal Atrium log-in.
Prerequisites
Min. 5 years professional experience and preferably min. 1 year experience from the healthcare or life science industry.
Examination
There is no examination for this course.
Course leader
Ruff & Co
Lecturers
Novo Nordisk A/S
Copenhagen Business School
Novo Holdings A/S
Novartis Healthcare A/S
Region Hovedstaden
Copenhagen Business School
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13 Nov 2025
Want to know more or need help?
Contact Client Manager Ida Salicath at +45 39 15 09 46
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