CDTM COURSES ARE ABOUT MAKING

The different course formats at CDTM enable students to obtain hands-on skills while working together with project partners on real-world problems. After having completed the program, students will have gained experience in identifying key indicators of future trends, methods to conceptualize a first prototype, as well as frameworks to implement business processes in an entrepreneurial environment.

Trend Seminar

Students learn how the business environment may develop in the future through analyzing trends, describing future scenarios, and developing promising business ideas in cooperation with industry partners.

  • 7 weeks full-time during the semester break
  • Work with rotating teams of 5-6 students
  • Publish a trend report together with your class

Example projects: Fighting Hunger in the Digital Era (UN World Food Programme), Creating and Sustaining Healthy Habits (Adidas Anticipation), Sensor-Based Authentication (Siemens)

Managing Product Development

The research, design, and development of new products and services is at the core of this course. Students go through the value-chain of product development: from ideation and prototyping to agile development and product deployment.

  • 12 weeks part-time in parallel to the semester
  • Small teams of 4-5 students work with an industry partner
  • 1 demo day open to the public to showcase prototypes

Example projects: leveraging AR to improve the lives of dementia patients, digitizing farming processes through satellite imagery, virtual assistants in airline maintenance processes

Entrepreneurship Laboratory

Within eLab, student teams work on business challenges presented by project partners, ranging from pricing and marketing to company strategy. The course format enables students to act as consultive entrepreneurs.

  • 12 weeks part-time in parallel to the semester
  • Small teams of 3-4 students work with an industry partner
  • Work 1 day per week at the project partner’s site

Example projects: Building a network of doctors for online consultation services, digital service models for smart production companies, B2B-multichannel sales strategy for the heating sector

Electives and Hackathons

Electives cover a variety of topics, from business and tech skills to personal development. They are designed to complement the core courses by offering students the opportunity to deepen their knowledge in an area of their choice.

  • Every semester 4-5 elective courses are offered
  • Format ranges from 1-week hackathons to several sessions spread across the semester

Example projects: sketching with hardware, venture financing, self-leadership and career planning