MTE4201 Materials in a complex world 3: Impact in society

In this unit, we will move beyond the role of the engineer as a designer, and examine the role of an engineer as a strategist within a technical organisation and within society as a whole. Project management aspects covered in this unit will include enterprise & entrepreneurship, economics
and markets, materials flow, the carbon economy, regulation and social responsibility. You will participate in a complex real-world engineering project and interact with key stakeholders in an area of significance for the role of materials engineering in society. The interrelationship between innovation and invention and the generation and nature of intellectual property within a business context will be covered.

The unit will include a major team-based project, addressing a problem in the broad area of materials sustainability. You will apply the knowledge gained in class to propose and justify strategic actions that could be taken by your team. You will be expected to integrate technical and non-technical concepts into your team’s major project. At the end of the unit, your team will produce a strategic plan to address the problem, which will form a key part of your professional portfolio upon graduation.