Developing Innovation Capabilities and Competencies for Undergraduate Engineering and Technology Education

Given the exponential factoring of knowledge due to scientific and technological advance, solving complex global problems will require a different way of thinking than was used to create them. No longer are solutions bound within a domain, science or technology. Instead, solutions require a highly integrated approach across many domains, sciences, or technologies. Albert Einstein stated “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” Einstein was emphasizing that one’s knowledge and understanding are limited by one’s own experience, education, and research and that the advancement of knowledge and science required more. The authors of this paper build a strong case, from the literature, that calls for using biomimicry innovation capabilities and competencies in undergraduate engineering and technology education programs to prepare students with this type of thinking to solve complex global problems to produce a sustainable world. To better prepare students to become more effective citizens and problem solvers in our increasingly interconnected, globalized world, the kind of thinker who contemplates complex global problems, the engineering and technology education curriculum must move to a more global educational model, and in particular, one that embraces integrating innovation capabilities and competencies that develop this new way of thinking about global problems. The authors of this paper present an initial study for what key innovation theorist believe are the innovation capabilities and competencies necessary for future leaders to be equipped to solve the critical global problems facing our society. The authors challenge traditional approaches, for example, utilizes “systems-theoretic” approaches to studying global problems that relate to the dynamics of science, technology, and innovation and their relationship to economic growth, as being limited in their usefulness for solving global problems. The authors focus on undergraduate engineering and technology education programs utilizing biomimicry innovation capabilities and competencies as a means for preparing their students to solve complex global problems. Four key research questions are discussed in the paper by the authors. The questions addressed are: 1. What are the necessary knowledge and sufficient conditions to solve complex global