The SPOT program, under ATTRACT Academy, is an initiative designed to integrate societal perspectives into innovation opportunities in technology. It is a collaborative effort involving Aalto University and TU Delft and it uses creative problem-solving tools to encourage students to adopt a systemic perspective in their approach to innovation. The learning process emphasizes hands-on experiences, aiming to equip young professionals with the capabilities to develop innovative solutions with societal impact.
SPOT is structured around two courses offered at Aalto University in Finland and one course at TU Delft in the Netherlands. One of the key courses, Mechanical Engineering in Society, is a mandatory master’s level course at Aalto University. It includes students from multiple engineering disciplines, such as Marine Technology, Product Development, Arctic Technology, Mechatronics, Engineering Materials, Production Engineering, and Solid Mechanics.
With an annual enrolment of approximately 120 students, the course is designed to broaden their understanding of the role of engineering in both academic and industrial contexts. Participants engage with innovation opportunities by applying systemic perspectives to analyse societal influences and the impact of innovation opportunities as well as human-centred design methodologies to prototype solutions connected to ATTRACT projects.
The primary learning objectives are to help students understand the connections between their field of study and economic, environmental, and societal issues, articulate their professional contributions, and develop effective collaboration and communication skills.
“Being able to identify and consider different types of stakeholders and impact is key for responsible engineering and design – as well as for spotting new innovation opportunities that can make a difference. Bringing ATTRACT technologies to the classroom has helped to showcase a broader range of approaches to innovation and their societal connections”,
mentioned Tua Björklund, Aalto Design Factory Director and coordinator of SPOT.
The course is taught by an interdisciplinary team consisting of engineering, design, and behavioural science experts. A compulsory language course is integrated into the program to enhance student’s ability to communicate ideas, present pitches, and articulate their learnings with the guidance of communication specialists. In addition, the methodology is tested in a Bachelor Final Project course for industrial design engineers to assess its broader applicability.
The program structure consists of guided workshops, group work, individual reflection assignments and oral exams. Throughout two rounds of implementation, students from both universities have participated in workshops and assignments centred on research and development in innovative technology. These activities involve design thinking methods, such as prototyping, PESTLE analysis, stakeholder mapping, and problem re-framing, to explore new opportunities and development directions.
The SPOT program has engaged more than 500 students from various design and engineering fields, including Marine Technology, Product Development, and Arctic Technology, among many others. Participants explored several ATTRACT technologies, such as SNIFFIRDRONE, VISIR2, and H3D-VISIOnAiR, among others.
Here you can watch a video of the SPOT program:
For additional information about the program, visit here.
The SPOT program, under ATTRACT Academy, is an initiative designed to integrate societal perspectives into innovation opportunities in technology. It is a collaborative effort involving Aalto University and TU Delft and it uses creative problem-solving tools to encourage students to adopt a systemic perspective in their approach to innovation. The learning process emphasizes hands-on experiences, […]
