it Innovation Engineering because it is a systematic and
applied approach to creativity. The Innovation Engineering
minor is open to students in all majors. The core courses
are Create, Communicate, and Commercialize; the fourth
course, Experience, teaches students to lead the process of
innovation with client groups and organizations. Students
complete the minor by taking two additional courses in
which they apply the tools, methods, and principles they
have learned in the core courses. Throughout the program,
we emphasize creating meaningfully unique solutions to
real problems and opportunities.
In 2010 the Innovation Center and Innovation
Engineering academic program proposed a project to the
University of Maine System Strategic Investment Fund:
“Innovation Education Throughout the University of Maine
System.” The purpose of the project is to develop more
innovative industries and the next generation of innovators
and entrepreneurs. We seek to accomplish this by training
colleagues at the other six campuses in the System to teach
the core of Innovation Engineering, so that students around
the State of Maine can create meaningfully unique ideas,
communicate the benefit of their innovations, and define
and test their ideas on the way to implementation.
A r r i va l at U M P I
by C arolyn Dorse y
UMPI was pleased to jump on board
when the University of Maine asked us to be
part of a statewide team teaching the innovation
engineering curriculum.
The innovation
engineering minor is made up of three classes,
Create, Communicate, Commercialize, and five
additional classes that are experiential project
based classes or internships. The possibilities with
this type of curriculum are endless. Although
many people initially assume it is a course that
relates to business classes or programming, it
is actually a multidisciplinary course that has
elements that would be beneficial in any setting.
The name, innovation engineering, is sometimes
confusing or misleading. People understand the relevance
of innovation, but the engineering focus is sometimes
misunderstood. The reference to engineering is really
based on the system or process taught in the curriculum.
We outline a process for looking at each unique scenario
you are presented with. By working through a system of
tools and techniques you will deconstruct the challenge,
look for new ways to research or look at the scenario and
ultimately create a more innovative solution to the scenario
than you would have arrived at through more traditional
means.
The classes are extremely interactive and involve a
lot of group work and class participation. Once the students
begin to learn the process, we jump right in to working on case
studies from organizations provided from around the state.
The organization provides the class with some background
information and a current issue they are struggling with,
and the class uses that information to work through the
innovation engineering tools to create meaningfully unique
ideas to present back to the organization. As a way to allow
UMPI students more hands on experiences and exposure
to business and community entities, we have also had the
students work with local organizations; even attending local
community meetings and workshops.
The premise in a nutshell is understanding how to
use your time more effectively, to broaden your scope of
research to areas you may not have typically considered,
and to be able to deconstruct a large issue in to smaller,
more manageable pieces that will allow you to produce
more creative results. We have used this process to help
companies promote an upcoming event, to come up with a
new name for a product, to increase attendance of volunteers
at fundraising events, to find ways to introduce STEM
education in to art and history classes, and how to find a use
for waste material left behind in the manufacturing process.
It truly is a skill you can transfer to numerous settings.
Most of UMPI’s course work to date has focused on the
Create class. Over the summer our faculty is being trained
on the next course in the series: Communicate. We are
excited about the potential this program holds not only for
our students, but for our business and community partners
that could utilize this program as a way to work through the
challenges they face.
“Innovation Engineering is the type of class you get excited about
two hours after class time has passed; it’s time you look forward
to sharing ideas in because it makes your brain constantly
process; trying to find out how this should work, or how that
could be designed differently to be more effective/efficient.
From personal experience I can say I have used Innovation
Engineering tools and ways of thinking in other classes, at
work and while dealing with common life problems. This class
will help any person, in any major, with any creativity level to
broaden their horizon and think outside the box.
I used Innovation Engineering this past year at my workplace.
Combined thinking from tools in Innovation Engineering and
my Business Sustainability Class I suggested a new, “green” way
to do business. Without Innovation Engineering I wouldn’t
have thought through the steps of an idea enough to use it
efficiently, this class helped me to create and develop further
any wild idea.” - Lydia Kieffer
SUM 5H