Subject description
Technical system for a specific process. Innovations and innovating. Product structure. Levels of design. Links between the market, customer and manufacturer. Process and sub-processes survey. Functional structure of a product. Product innovation and introducing change into a production system. Typical types of production and ways of initiating a specific type of production by means of change. Innovation assessment from the economic, legislative, technical, sustainable development and marketing points of view. Presenting an innovation: in the production system, to customers and the whole environment. Presentation models.
Seminar work: Survey of existing products. Critical analysis by product designer and/or user. Presentation of product's functional structure and setting a schedule for the introduction of changes.
Concept of a new process, following the »crazy idea« principle. Analysis of process conditions. Setting up the functional structure of a product. Conceiving a product and making an assessment.
Survey of an existing product. Making a final product assessment from economic, legislative, technical, sustainable development and marketing points of view. Defining the necessary activities. Setting up a model for introducing the innovation directly into the manufacturing environment.
Laboratory work: application of computer tools in the process of seeking new product opportunities.
The subject is taught in programs
Objectives and competences
The main aim of the course is to acquire key knowledge in the area of innovative product development (i.e. technical systems). The emphasis is on a systematic approach, substantiated in the method for seeking new product opportunities, and on the application of methods in joint industrial/academic teams.
Teaching and learning methods
In case of less than 5 students, the course will be carried out in the form of consultations and with the use of the provided literature.
Regular course will include lectures, tutorials and laboratory work for the preparation of seminar works.
Expected study results
After the course, students will be competent for individual and multidisciplinary team work in the area of seeking innovative product opportunities, taking account of real business, social, economic, technological and legislative factors. They will be competent independently to use programme tools that support the development of innovative products.
Basic sources and literature
- Leifer, R. Radical innovation : how mature companies can outsmart upstarts, Boston, Mass. : Harvard Business School Press, 2000
- Christensen, C. M. The innovator's dilemma: the revolutionary book that will change the way you do business, 1st HarperBusiness Essentials ed. New York : HarperBusiness Essentials, 2003
- Christensen, C. M., Raynor, M. E. The innovator's solution : creating and sustaining successful growth: Boston (Mass.) : Harvard Business School Press, 2003
- Hubka, V., Eder, W.E., 1988. Theory of Technical Systems: A Total Concept Theory for Engineering Design, Berlin Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag.
- Ulrich, K.T., Eppinger, S.D. (2011). Product Design and Development, Fifth Edition. Boston: McGrawHill.
- Pretnar, B. Intelektualna lastnina v sodobni konkurenci in poslovanju : pravne osnove, ekonomska analiza in podjetniški cilji, Ljubljana: GV založba, 2002
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University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering Tržaška cesta 25, 1000 Ljubljana