Course content

This course motivates students for entrepreneurial thinking and learning. Further on, the course sets out to empower students to start up their own business. Entrepreneurship can offer alternative pathways for young people, improving their skills, employability and life chances, while supporting wider economic and social development. Through entrepreneurship activities, learners can gain key entrepreneurial skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, risk-taking and teamwork.

The course provides knowledge about the need for new knowledge, innovations, new products and processes within the regional industry. The course provides theoretical knowledge of business model, and their relevance for entrepreneurship and innovation. The course provides knowledge and application of the design thinking methodology. This is a step-by-step and dynamic process that starts with insight into the customer and how to provide value to the customer and business model. The course provides a comprehensive insight into rapid prototyping.

Learning outcome

• knowledge and practical skills within entrepreneurial thinking
• industrial needs for new innovations within products and processes
• knowledge and skills within the design thinking methodology
• competence within understanding and describing customers needs
• competence within product development and rapid prototyping
• competence within business models
• competence within teamwork

Learning methods and activities

Teaching methods: Lectures and practical exercises. Skills will be trained with eight exercises throughout the semester, with several exercises will be cooperation with industrial companies which can be suppliers, and real customers and users. Mandatory assignments: All compulsory exercises should be conducted and approved continuously. Schedule and scope of mandatory assignments will be announced at the beginning of the semester. The assignment texts are delivered consecutively, but you are not given the opportunity to start the next assignment until the previous assignment has been approved. Parts of the practice tasks will be completed at set times. The subject requires a minimum of 80% attendance.

Compulsory assignments

• Mandatory assignment

Specific conditions

Recommended previous knowledge

Basic health, safety and the environment (HSE). The department's internship course.

Required previous knowledge

One year on a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, mechatronics, data, automation, electrical engineering, construction or other engineering studies must be completed

Course materials

Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers , by Alexander Osterwalder (Author), Yves Pigneur (Author)

The Design Thinking Playbook: Mindful Digital Transformation of Teams, Products, Services, Businesses and Ecosystems (Design Thinking Series) 1st Edition by Michael Lewrick (Author), Patrick Link (Author), Larry Leifer (Author)

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