Idea Engineering: A Case Study of a Practically Oriented University Course in Innovation

This paper describes a course in innovation offered to students at the University of Magdeburg in Germany. The course is based on the premise that idea generation can be viewed as a methodical discipline, and offers a unique combination of the psychological framework for creative thinking, the business background for innovation and state-of-the-art creativity techniques. The course derives much of its impact from close cooperation with an innovation consulting company and enables the students to solve real-life ideation tasks supplied by local corporations and other organizations. The paper describes the goals and design of the course, its innovative features, its reception by students and concludes with benefits and experiences gained.