Sustainable Product Innovation, 15 credits

Main field of study with advanced study

75 credits Mechanical Engineering and 15 credits Mathematics. The courses Innovation Project 7.5 credits and Production Systems 7.5 credits. English 6. Exemption of the requirement in Swedish is granted.

The course is part of the Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Sustainable Design and Innovation program.

The course is given as a single subject course.

The aim of the course is for the student to develop knowledge of and understanding of how new products work must be developed so that the product and material can be part of a sustainable life cycle. The student must also acquire insights into how legislation, standards, design and material selection influences the development of new products in the pursuit of a circular economy.

Following successful completion of the course the student should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• explain how basic theories and global trends affect the development of product and production systems
• explain the choice of design and construction methods and how to work with them in the development of sustainable product systems

Skills and ability

• implement with global trends and the life cycle perspective as a starting point knowledge of social, economic and environmental sustainability to develop innovative production system
• comply with product standards, laws and regulations applicable in the field
• explore, conceptualize and construct products and systems based on the needs of the user and society, the possibilities and limitations of the technology, and others sustainability aspects
• verify and validate products and systems based on both technical and sustainability perspective

Judgement and approach

• assess the impact of different systems on people's ability to use them
• assess and value products and systems with regard to technical function, financial, social and environmental sustainability

• Sustainable innovation strategies for product development in companies
• Trend analysis
• Advanced design and construction methods
• Norm-critical design
• Validation and verification of products and systems
• Product standards, the Product Safety Act and work environment laws
• Sustainability analysis based on environmental, social and economic sustainability linked to
• Product specifications.
• Product innovation projects

Teaching takes place through lectures, workshops, seminars and supervised practical moments/laborations in collaboration with a company. This means that the student works with projects that are carried out in groups where the focus is on developing products with special emphasis on life cycle perspective, technical function as well as economic, social and environmental sustainability.

The course is examined through written and oral presentation of the results from group work in the product innovation project, presentation and exhibition of laboratory carried out in collaboration with Stena Recycling. Seminar on standard critical design, individual submission in advanced construction method, submission task in product standards and individual written reflection report on sustainability analysis design.

If there are special reasons, the examiner may make exceptions from the specified examination format and allow a student to be examined in another way. Special reasons can e.g. be study support for students with disabilities.

Course evaluation is part of the course. This evaluation offers guidance in the future development and planning of the course. Course evaluation is documented and made available to the students.