Background
Creative and innovative problem-solving is a key skill that engineers need to develop, apply, and continually practice. Engineers frequently engage in problem-solving for challenges around product development, process improvement, logistics, and societal problems. Engineers also need to be action-oriented and move from an idea through to a validated opportunity and bring it to fruition. To achieve this objective, engineers increasingly need to have skills in developing, assessing, and translating solutions into useful action plans and business proposals to attract investment, and gain users and support from stakeholders.
Course Description
This course will cover (I) Creativity and Innovation, (II) Problem Space Exploration and Solution Ideation, (III) Business Case Development & Analysis, and (IV) Project Management Fundamentals. These concepts will be explored through a specific problem initiated through the lens of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) framework to identify an innovative solution and see it through the innovation process. This includes the exploration of the problem space, development of a problem statement, ideation including the role of creativity, constructing a business case, and developing an implementation plan. You will learn how to understand a problem, identify solutions, and assess the value of an opportunity through to a business case demonstrating tangibility and impact. These learnings are applied in the development of a consumer-centric innovation.