Guidelines for Engineering Teachers Concerning educating the Engineer for Innovative and Entrepreneurial Activity[1

Abstract

SUMMARY The paper is in 3 parts. Part I emphasises that the concept of design is fundamental in innovation. Contrary to deductive reasoning, which allows for only one good solution, design, which is a type of reductive reasoning, allows for many different solutions and therefore plays an essential role in design. Decisions require always both factual and normative information, and also risk taking. It is argued that complex design problems require both creativity and method. Two most important methodic tools are the basic design cycle and the structural model of the industrial innovation process Part II describes in outlines the work of the (late) SEFI-Working group on Innovation. Its results are published in two booklets: The Guidelines for Engineering Teachers and the working group's Final Report, both obtainable from SEFI headquarters at Brussels. In the guidelines seven main educational means for improving the innovativeness and entrepreneurial capabilities of engineers are identified. Of each of the means proposed a definition was given, the objectives were stipulated, the guidelines formulated and the considerations leading to them described. Part III describes as an illustration to the former parts the innovation-management stream in the curriculum of the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering at Delft University of Technology. The faculty offers a master's degree course in industrial design engineering. As the design character of innovation is fully recognised, the teaching of innovation management roots in design methodology. The innovation-management stream starts already in the first year of the curriculum and increases to 40% of the course time in the third year. If students choose an innovation management subject as master's thesis project (which 20 to 30% actually do) they devote 75% of their time to innovation management in the 4th year. The teaching of innovation management consists on the one hand of a series of lectures in each year of the curriculum, and on the other hand on exercises and design projects. The major design project preceding the master's project, and which is compulsory for all students, is executed in a real industrial setting, and contains an important innovation management component The faculty has developed a computerised innovation management game, which demonstrates the complete industrial innovation process in a very comprehensive form. It is used as a teaching tool and forms one of the exercises that support the lectures. There is overwhelming interest for the course in industrial design engineering, certainly partly because of its innovation management content, but because of capacity limitations entrance is limited to 250 students yearly.