2021-2022 / PROJ0020-1

Innovation for sustainable engineering

Duration

10h Th, 100h Proj.

Number of credits

 Master of Science (MSc) in Electromechanical Engineering5 crédits 
 Master of Science (MSc) in Mechanical Engineering (EMSHIP+, Erasmus Mundus)5 crédits 
 Certificate in sustainable automotive engineering5 crédits 

Lecturer

Georges de Pelsemaeker, Pierre Duysinx

Language(s) of instruction

English language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

Innovation is a fundamental engine of perrenity of entreprises. Innovation can have a technological or marketing nature, but its characteristics is to always be oriented towards the satisfaction of customers' need should it be explicit or implicit. The course aims at developing students ability to carry out an innovation approach.
Plan for the academic year 2021-2022.
1 October (1.30 to 5.30 pm + 2 CO2 breaks) Introduction. Face-to-face session * Reminder of the evaluation rules (20% biblio presentation 20% work in sessions 20% external jury 20% final report) * The jury will look at 3 aspects a) identification and justification of the customer need b) innovative character and feasibility of the proposed solution c) market appetence d) quality of the presentation. * Presentation of the detailed agenda * Some key elements about the innovation process and about sustainable development. * Distribution of group work: a book summary to be presented in 10 min (ppt capsule) + 10 min Q/A per team (restitution 4 weeks later) + written work (5 pages max) o Blue Ocean (differentiation) o Agile innovation (scrum method) o Design thinking o Sustainable development (3P or 3E) o How to lead a brainstorming? o Business Plan & P&L (presentation and explanation of a given std table) o What are the obstacles to overcome? * Several books will be proposed during the session to facilitate the work * Constitutions of the teams, ideally in pairs
8 October: Presentation of the innovation context - Face-to-face session * Context: a patient's health pathway (by supervisors) * Explanation of the concept of pain points (by supervisors) * Presentation of Gate 0 pain point deliverable and targeting of market need (by supervisors) * Presentation of the selection table of the most promising Pain Point (by supervisors) * Brainstorming on a few Pain Points - workshops facilitated by the coaches. 2 or 3 iterations to be done in sessions
15 October: Presentation of Gate 0 (pain point selection - preparation / Gate 1 tool: definition of objectives) - Visio session * Presentation of the bread points (group) * Selection of the subject of the work (group) * Definition of the use case and the nature of a persona (supervisor) * Construction of the chosen use case (group) * Presentation of expectations for Gate 1 (definition of objectives) (supervisors)
22 October: Presentation of Gate 1 (definition and quantification of the objectives of the service or product and value proposal - how to find solutions responding to market demands) - Face-to-face session * Presentation of topics by each group * Refinement and freezing of objectives
28 October: Presentation of the bibliographic group work. Visio session
5 November: Visit to the DEI in Palaiseau (subject to covid) * Visit of the site (supervisor) * Presentation of the concepts responding to the selected points (group) * Proposal of differentiation elements (group)
12 November: Catch-up session on request (review gate 0 to 2) by group. Visio session
19 November: Gate 2 frozen concepts. Face-to-face session * Presentation of the chosen solution * Validation by the supervisors
26 November: definition and preparation of mock-ups (group only)
3 December: mock-up and validation - Face-to-face session * Preparation of the definition (group) * Update on the mock-up (group)
10 December Gate 3 * Definition of the solution * Presentation of the mock-up 1 * Market feedback
18 December - Preparation of the final presentation. Face-to-face or video session. * Specific point on the business plan (with the supervisors) * Construction of the P&L (with the mentor)
First week of January: Support for the preparation of the final presentation (appointment to fix during the first week of January 2022)
Second week of January: Presentation to the external jury. Examination. Face-to-face session. * 15 minutes presentation * 15 minutes Q/A (lift pitch)
Third week of January: Submission of the final report
 
 

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

  • Understand the innovation concept
  • Identify innovation needs of customers
  • Define target setting
  • Validate the innovative concept
  • Validate the innovative concept

This course contributes to the learning outcomes II.1, II.2, III.3, III.4, V.1, V.2, V.3, VI.1, VI.2, VI.3, VI.4, VII.1, VII.2, VII.3, VII.6 of the MSc in electromechanical engineering.


This course contributes to the learning outcomes II.1, II.2, III.3, III.4, IV.11, V.1, V.2, V.3, VI.1, VI.2, VI.3, VI.4, VII.1, VII.2, VII.3, VII.6 of the MSc in mechanical engineering.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

  • Integrated Projects (all disciplines)
 

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Pitch seminars introducing the innovation concepts and the process of development of innovation in industrial context (Prof. G De Pelsemaeker)
Project based learning: development of an innovative concept in the framework of an international contest (for instance Valeo Innovation project, Henkel, Rolex, Airbus competitions...)
Four milestones during which students have to present the project progress in font of the class:


  • Phase 0: Subject selection
  • Phase 1: Target seeting
  • Phase 2: Conception validation
  • Phase 3: Definition and validation
  • Final presentation (exam)
 
 

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Blended learning


Additional information:

  • In person lectures (seminars, presentations during milestones)
  • In visio : intermidaite coaching sessions
  • Group project
  • Company visit
 
 
 

Recommended or required readings

Assessment methods and criteria

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

oral exam

Written work / report

Continuous assessment


Additional information:

 

  • Evaluation of the presentation during the 4 milestones. The students write reports on the discussions and the future actions. The reports are evaluated and are accounted for in the final mark. (20%)
  • Oral presentation and discussion in front of a jury during the January session. (50%)
  • Final report (30%)
 

Work placement(s)

None

Organizational remarks

Organized as seminars during first semester.

Contacts

Pierre Duysinx, LTAS - Automotive Engineering Institute of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, Building B52 Allée de la Découverte 13A, 4000 Liège Phone : +32 4 366 9194, Fax : +32 4 366 9159, Email: P.Duysinx@uliege.be
Prof. Dr. G. de Pelsemaeker Research & Innovation Director R744 Program and R&D Director Thermal Systems Business Group Phone: +33 6 03 64 65 40 Email: georges.de-pelsemaeker@valeo.com