EGH419 Advanced Design and Entrepreneurship
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | EGH419 |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite(s): | EGB320 or EGB240 or Admission to EN55 |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
| CSP student contribution | $1,192 |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $5,364 |
| International unit fee | $6,684 |
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2026, Gardens Point, Internal
| Unit code: | EGH419 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | EGB320 or EGB240 or Admission to EN55 |
| Coordinator: | Fernando Vanegas Alvarez | f.vanegasalvarez@qut.edu.au |
Overview
This unit introduces you to advanced design practice and fundamental entrepreneurial concepts. The unit combines skills in electrical and mechatronics engineering with entrepreneurship.
You will work in a team and apply your new knowledge in entrepreneurship to devise an idea for an artefact that solves a customer’s problem or satisfies a demand in the market. You will learn how to think about a business case for your idea, identify potential customers and analyse the market situation.
In your team, you will apply advanced design methods to evaluate your product or service idea based on its technology feasibility, desirability, and commercial viability.
You will heavily draw on the project management and team skills learned in the previous project units
EGB240 or EGB220 and EGB320.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Identify a problem that can be solved by applying electrical or mechatronic engineering and design a complex system using appropriate information, engineering methods, and technologies.
- Demonstrate introductory knowledge of key entrepreneurial concepts to create a business plan, designed to market a complex electrical or mechatronics product or service to potential customers.
- Compose a professional business plan and associated documentation that describes, quantitatively evaluates, and defends the technological feasibility, customer desirability, and business viability of a complex electrical or mechatronic product at a mastered level.
- Demonstrate leadership, creativity, and initiative in both self-directed and collaborative contexts of professional engineering practice, utilising project development and management techniques.
- Engage stakeholders or potential customers in a professional context and effectively communicate your concept, value proposition and expected outcome.
Content
Interactive lectures will concentrate on entrepreneurial content:
- Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Ideation
- Market analysis
- Technology readiness level framework
- Value proposition
- Systems Engineering and Project Management
- Preliminary design
- Business Canvas model
- Intellectual property and risk assessment
- Pitching
Learning Approaches
You can expect the following timetabled activities in this unit:
- Learning activities that introduce you to fundamental concepts of entrepreneurship. You have the opportunity to interact with the lecturers and get deep feedback on your product ideas and design progress.
- Laboratory: The team project requires the design, implementation, documentation and basic marketing of a product or artefact that incorporates engineering techniques. The project runs over the entire semester and culminates in a demonstration of the product at the end of the unit.
In addition to timetabled activities, you are expected to self-organise your work in your team, hold
regular team meetings, apply your knowledge of agile project management techniques, document your
progress in all stages of the project, conduct experiments and evaluation of your prototype, as well as
prepare reports, demonstrations and presentations.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Feedback will be given regularly throughout the semester by tutors and lecturers, following your oral and written presentations of project ideas, plan, design, execution and progress early, mid-semester and at the end of the semester. Tutors and lecturers are available for feedback and advice in the lab sessions.
In addition, you are encouraged to view your team and other teams as a learning community and share and constructively discuss emerging ideas during all phases of the project.
Assessment
Overview
Assessment in this unit will be based on a semester-long team project. As a team and individually, you will be assessed on a mix of written formal reports, a product pitch demonstration and practical prototype demonstrations.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Ideation and Market Analysis
You will work collaboratively to produce a video presentation showcasing your product idea, problem identification, market analysis, and Technology Readiness Assessment, based on consultation with different stakeholders.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Assessment: Business Plan and Engineering Design Progress Report
You will create a Business plan and engineering design progress report describing the Ideation, Market Analysis, Product validation plan, Project Management and Engineering design of your Product.
Each student is assigned a role. They work on and submit an individual report with sections of the business plan proposal, and work collaboratively on a group report with the remaining sections of the business plan and engineering design progress report.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Assessment: Final Business Plan and Presentation
Business plan
One group submission and one individual submission with the final business plan and engineering design document. A template will be given.
Each student is assigned a role. They work on and submit an individual report with sections of the final business plan and engineering design report, and work collaboratively on a group report with the remaining sections of the business plan and engineering design report. 10% Group 20% individual.
The Business Plan component of this assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Presentation
A group oral presentation to describe and defend the business plan before a panel. Each student presents their contribution.
Marked 10% group and 10% individual contribution.
Peer and self-evaluation
Each student will complete a peer and self-evaluation of their contribution to group work and business plan. This will be used to moderate individual grades.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Various references will be advised during lectures. Additional material will be made available through the Canvas unit website.
Risk Assessment Statement
You will undertake lectures in the traditional classrooms and lecture theatres. As such, there are no
extraordinary workplace health and safety issues associated with these components of the unit.
You will be required to undertake practical sessions in the laboratory under the supervision of the teaching
team and technical staff of the faculty. In any laboratory, you will be advised of requirements of safe and
responsible behaviour and will be required to wear appropriate protective items (e.g. closed shoes).
You will undergo a health and safety induction before the commencement of the practical sessions and will
be issued with a safety induction card. If you do not have a safety induction card you will be denied access
to laboratories.
Standards/Competencies
This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.
Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineer
1: Knowledge and Skill Base
Relates to: Ideation and Market Analysis, Business Plan and Engineering Design Progress Report, Final Business Plan and Presentation
Relates to: Ideation and Market Analysis, Business Plan and Engineering Design Progress Report, Final Business Plan and Presentation
2: Engineering Application Ability
Relates to: Ideation and Market Analysis, Business Plan and Engineering Design Progress Report, Final Business Plan and Presentation
Relates to: Ideation and Market Analysis, Business Plan and Engineering Design Progress Report, Final Business Plan and Presentation
Relates to: Ideation and Market Analysis, Business Plan and Engineering Design Progress Report, Final Business Plan and Presentation
Relates to: Ideation and Market Analysis, Business Plan and Engineering Design Progress Report, Final Business Plan and Presentation
3: Professional and Personal Attributes
Relates to: Ideation and Market Analysis, Final Business Plan and Presentation
Relates to: Ideation and Market Analysis, Final Business Plan and Presentation
Relates to: Ideation and Market Analysis, Final Business Plan and Presentation
Relates to: Ideation and Market Analysis, Final Business Plan and Presentation
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.EN01 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
- Engage stakeholders professionally and communicate the outcomes of your work effectively to expert and non-expert audiences using appropriate modes.
Relates to: ULO2, ULO4 - Display leadership, creativity, and initiative in both self-directed and collaborative contexts of professional engineering practice.
Relates to: ULO3, Ideation and Market Analysis, Final Business Plan and Presentation - Manage projects to solve complex engineering problems, using appropriate information, engineering methods, and technologies.
Relates to: ULO5, Ideation and Market Analysis, Final Business Plan and Presentation - Deploy appropriate approaches to engineering design and quality.
Relates to: ULO1, Ideation and Market Analysis, Business Plan and Engineering Design Progress Report, Final Business Plan and Presentation - Demonstrate a thorough understanding of one engineering discipline, its research directions, and its application in contemporary professional engineering practice.
Relates to: Ideation and Market Analysis, Business Plan and Engineering Design Progress Report, Final Business Plan and Presentation
EN55 Master of Professional Engineering
- Apply advanced and specialist knowledge, concepts and practices in engineering design, analysis management and sustainability.
Relates to: Ideation and Market Analysis, Business Plan and Engineering Design Progress Report, Final Business Plan and Presentation - Critically analyse and evaluate complex engineering problems to achieve research informed solutions.
Relates to: Ideation and Market Analysis, Final Business Plan and Presentation - Apply systematic approaches to plan, design, execute and manage an engineering project.
Relates to: Final Business Plan and Presentation - Communicate complex information effectively and succinctly, presenting high level reports, arguments and justifications in oral, written and visual forms to professional and non specialist audiences.
Relates to: Ideation and Market Analysis, Business Plan and Engineering Design Progress Report, Final Business Plan and Presentation - Organise and manage time, tasks and projects independently, and collaboratively demonstrating the values and principles that shape engineering decision making and professional accountability.
Relates to: Ideation and Market Analysis, Final Business Plan and Presentation