Instilling innovation and entrepreneurship in engineering graduate students: Observations at the University of Calgary

Abstract

AbstractToday's employers not only want graduates who are critical thinkers and problem solvers that are able to work in teams, but also individuals that understand innovation and how to use entrepreneurial activities to move innovations to become benefits to society. For research‐based graduate students, this is even more desired, with emphasis on an understanding of innovation processes and the realization of the role that innovation plays for the survival and growth of existing corporations as well as the key contribution it makes in start‐up companies. Many engineering programs focus on traditional engineering attributes, and although these are essential elements that engineering graduates should learn through their training, little attention is paid to innovation and the conversion of innovations to realized impacts. Here, we review innovation and discuss our experience with trainees (graduate students and post‐doctoral scholars) and how to engage them in innovation activities. Our observation is that innovation is coachable and can be cultivated in research‐based trainees. We recommend nine actions (understanding the challenge, motivation, safe and mentored local environment, tolerance to failure, diversity, rewarding of passion, awareness of the external, internal‐external environment, and creative destruction and preservation) that trainees should be exposed to in order to promote innovation and entrepreneurial activities so that they can establish and/or strengthen their innovation and entrepreneurship muscles, which hopefully continues after they leave university.