MGT 555 – Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Engineering

 

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           Summary

This course is a joint initiative between the School of Engineering and the College of Management to encourage and promote entrepreneurship and management skills, engineering design, hands-on experience, teamwork, and awareness of social and ethical implications in engineering and management. The material is taught in four modules, including Systems Engineering, Product Design, Business Economics, and Prototyping. A key component of the course consists of a team project, usually conducted in collaboration with an industry partner, addressing a significant commercial need and/or societal issue. Lectures will be given by domain experts. The first part of the course focuses on product design. Students will be working in multidisciplinary teams to define a product concept, draft a prototype and propose a plan for product commercialization. At the conclusion of the course, the projects will be entered in a prize competition, judged by a panel of industry experts and faculty.

Topics include: Design Criteria * Modularity * Project Planning * Lifecycle Assessment * Investment Criteria * Environmental Sustainability * Real Options * Green Production * Electric Circuits * Materials * Recycling * Robotics * Intellectual Property * 3D Printing

 

<Syllabus (Version: September 12, 2025)> 

 

2025 COURSE THEME: AI-POWERED INNOVATION  

 

[2019: Portables and Wearables / 2020: Sustainable Technologies / 2021: Smart Sensors / 2022: Sports Tech(nologies) /

 2023: Energy-Efficient Things / 2024: Devices for a Circular Economy]

 

 

 

Contact Details

 

Instructor

Prof. Thomas A. Weber

Operations, Economics and Strategy

EPFL-CDM-ODY 3.01

Phone: +41 21 693 0141

E-Mail: thomas.weber@epfl.ch  

 

Instructor

Prof. Véronique Michaud

Laboratory for Processing Advanced Composites (LPAC)

EPFL-STI-MXH 145

Phone: +41 21 693 4923

E-Mail: veronique.michaud@epfl.ch

 

 

Teaching Assistance

Ru Zhang                                                                                                                    

EPFL-CDM-ODY 4.16

Phone: +41 21 693 7255
E-Mail: ru.zhang@epfl.ch

 

Teaching Assistance

Zoubeir Saraw                                                                                                             

EPFL-STI-IMX-MXC 238  

Phone: +41 21 693 7097
E-Mail: zoubeir.saraw@epfl.ch

 

Administrative Assistance

Ms. Ilona Ball                                                                                                               

EPFL-CDM-ODY 3.16

Phone: +41 21 693 0039

E-Mail : ilona.ball@epfl.ch

 

 

Course Materials: See Moodle