ABSTRACT
The competency requirements of the global markets, companies and other business players are significantly changing. The industry 4.0 implementation and the claim for shifting toward the circular economy pose new challenges for the higher education. The specialization in a thematic field, a technology or a production process in raw material could limit the possibility to create new innovations if students don’t have the skills and the mindset oriented to problem-solving and to understand customers’ needs and use open innovation in all its potential. In this paper we describe the process and analyze the satisfactory results of the application of a real-life problem-solving learning methodology to develop innovation and entrepreneurial skills in university students, involving also industries as problem owners, and researchers and teachers as mentors.
