Interdisciplinary Project

The Interdisciplinary Project is the capstone course of the Business Innovation for Engineers minor, designed to integrate knowledge from Finance, Innovation Management, Marketing, Ethics, and Risk and Safety into a real-world business challenge. In this course, students will work in teams to develop a comprehensive Innovation Plan for a real existing company that is actively pursuing a technological breakthrough. The project will require students to analyze financial feasibility, market potential, ethical considerations, safety risks, and the broader economic impact of the innovation.

Through research, case studies, and expert feedback, students will learn to navigate the complexities of innovation-driven decision-making in a corporate environment. The final deliverable—a professional Innovation Plan—will outline a strategic roadmap for the company’s innovation, including financial projections, risk assessments, marketing strategies, and other recommendations. This course emphasizes collaborative problem-solving, critical thinking, and strategic decision-making, preparing students for careers at the intersection of business and engineering.

The assessment for this course will be based on two key components: a written Innovation Plan and a final group presentation. The Innovation Plan, submitted as a comprehensive report, will integrate insights and analysis from all relevant disciplines—Innovation Management; Financing Innovation; Ethics, Innovation, and the Corporation; Marketing of Technological Innovations; Management of Risk and Safety—and serve as the primary deliverable of the project. In addition, student teams will present their Innovation Plan at the end of the course to a panel of innovation experts. The presentation will assess students’ ability to effectively communicate their strategic recommendations, demonstrate interdisciplinary thinking, and respond to critical feedback in a professional setting.