The ability to develop innovative products as a relevant competence for engineering students

Innovation seems to be the most important element of activities of companies to stay vital in a very competitive international market. Innovation is the process of developing products or services in an organisation for a market. Especially small and medium-sized companies, for which it is difficult to invest in innovation research and development, need to be provided with young professionals to help them make the right decisions on innovation development. At the moment higher professional education in the Netherlands is not preparing students enough as future professionals in SMEs, for the task if initiating and to developing innovations in these SME's. Therefore it is needed that higher professional education comprehensively implement these innovation competences in its curriculum. At the Fontys University of Applied Sciences in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, innovation has become an important element in teaching students innovation competences. In 2007/8 a pilot has been introduced the department of Engineering with first year students in a multidisciplinary and action-based setting. First year students of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering in a 5-credit programme try to find new patentable products. The outcome of this first try-out was that students realized the importance of innovation for the profession and they were eager to work in this innovative setting. Some adjustments in the education will be made as there are: timetable and project settings to timetables and schedules will have to be made