The Final Project at EADA Business School represents one of the core practical learning experiences of the Master’s programme. Students work in consulting teams of four to six members to develop a business plan and strategic recommendations for a real spin-off, start-ups or other early-stage company. In the case of the Master in Pharma and Biotech Management, final projects are typically focused on biotech, medtech or consumer health start-ups dealing with the early phases of development of an innovative product.
In this article, I share my experience working with a University of Barcelona spin-off developing an innovative treatment for uveal melanoma, a rare form of eye cancer, and what I learned from applying the theoretical knowledge acquired during the Master's to a real business challenge.
What is the Final Project at EADA Business School?
The Final Project gives students the opportunity to work directly with entrepreneurs and companies on real business challenges. Rather than being a classroom simulation, students collaborate with an actual company and develop recommendations that can contribute to its business development. Entrepreneurs from different business realities submit project proposals to EADA Business School. Each proposal is evaluated based on its objectives and the entrepreneur's willingness and ability to collaborate with the student consulting team.
In January, students receive access to the complete list of final project proposals. By the end of the month, they select the top three projects they would like to work on, as well as their preferred team members. Students in the Master in Pharma and Biotech Management are required to select pharma- or life-sciences-related projects, while students in the Master in Management can choose from the complete project list. Teams can consist of students from the same Master program or be multidisciplinary teams bringing together participants from different programs.
By the beginning of February, each team is assigned one of the projects they selected. From February to July, team members work on the project with the guidance of the entrepreneur and an EADA professor acting as the academic tutor. In July, the team presents the final project to an evaluation tribunal composed of the Master’s programs’ representatives, the entrepreneur and the assigned tutor.
My Final Project: Working with a Biotech Spin-Off
I recently graduated from the Master in Pharma and Biotech Management with a final project developed in collaboration with a spin-off from the University of Barcelona. The company was developing an innovative treatment for uveal melanoma, a rare form of eye cancer. The asset is currently at the preclinical proof-of-concept stage. Our consulting team worked closely with the company's CEO to develop a comprehensive roadmap illustrating the preclinical and clinical developmental pathway, funding requirements, key risks, and critical go/no-go decision points. Over six months , we developed an in-depth understanding of the disease and the associated unmet medical need. We engaged with patients’ associations to map the patient journey and assessed the market opportunity through interviews with potential customers and end users. I believe this experience really helped me to achieve a concrete understanding of the industry by applying the theoretical knowledge into a practical business case. My team also built a strong relationship of trust with the collaborating entrepreneur, and by the end of the project we felt we had made a meaningful contribution to advancing his business.
Why Choosing the Right Project and Team Matters
To maximize the learning value of the final project, I believe that choosing the right project and team is essential.
In my opinion, when selecting a project proposal, it is important to consider both the project topic and the entrepreneurs’ availability and commitment. Choosing a proposal with an entrepreneur that is fully committed to the project allows having frequent meetings and regular follow-ups, which in my view are invaluable for developing a deep understanding of the project and delivering high-quality outcomes. My final project team consisted of myself, another colleague from the Master in Pharma and Biotech Management and three colleagues from the Master in Management. We deliberately decided to combine pharmaceutical and management backgrounds to evaluate the technology from both scientific and commercial perspectives. Although this approach implied additional effort at the beginning to identify each member's strengths and establish a common level of understanding, it quickly proved to be a significant advantage. By leveraging our diverse expertise and perspectives, we were able to generate more comprehensive analyses and well-rounded recommendations. This multidisciplinary approach also reflected an important reality of the pharmaceutical and biotech industries: developing an innovative product requires collaboration between people with very different areas of expertise.
What I Learned from My Final Project at EADA
Overall, the final project was one of the most valuable components of my Master's experience at EADA Business School. Beyond allowing me to apply the theoretical knowledge acquired at lesson, it provided first-hand exposure to the challenges faced by an early-stage biotech company and strengthened my ability to work in a multidisciplinary consulting team. Looking back, I believe the experience gave me a much more concrete understanding of how business decisions are made in the pharma and biotech industries. The project equipped me with practical, analytical, and interpersonal skills that will continue to be valuable throughout my professional career.
Author
Ilaria Brambilla
Participant - International Master in Pharma & Biotech Management 2025-2026
Learn more about EADA's Master in Pharma and Biotech Management and discover how the programme combines business education, life-sciences expertise and practical learning.