An 'activation' process for entrepreneurial engineering education: the model and application

The pervasiveness of scientific developments has raised the role of entrepreneurship as a driver of socio-economic value. Higher education institutions are thus asked to create entrepreneurial mindset and competencies with the purpose to make students able to proactively identify opportunities and transform them in market solutions. In particular, engineering education programs can be of relevance to develop technology entrepreneurship competencies through handson and experiential approaches. In such vein, this paper proposes a model of entrepreneurship education as an “activation” process which uses four critical levers with the purpose to infuse the essence of entrepreneurship in tomorrow’s engineering professionals. The application of the model is exemplified through the analysis of a research training program grounded in the aerospace domain. The key features of the initiative are discussed in the perspective of exploring new models of entrepreneurial engineering education

AN "ACTIVATION" PROCESS FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL ENGINEERING EDUCATION: THE MODEL AND APPLICATION

The pervasiveness of scientific developments has raised the role of entrepreneurship as a driver of socio-economic value. Higher education institutions are thus asked to create entrepreneurial mindset and competencies with the purpose to make students people able to proactively identify opportunities and transform them in market solutions. In particular, engineering education programs can be of relevance to develop technology entrepreneurship competencies through hands-on and experiential approaches. In such vein, this paper proposes a model of entrepreneurship education as an "activation" process which uses four critical levers with the purpose to infuse the essence of entrepreneurship in tomorrow's engineering professionals. The application of the model is exemplified through the analysis of a research training program grounded in the aerospace domain. The key features of the initiative are discussed in the perspective of exploring new models of entrepreneurial engineering education.Adaptive innovator, engineering education, entrepreneurial engineer, entrepreneurship education, high-tech entrepreneurship

Enhancement of the photoprotection and nanomechanical properties of polycarbonate by deposition of thin ceramic coatings

International audienceSynthesis of zinc oxide powder as function of precursor concentration and their photo catalytic activity test AIP Conf. The chemical reactions resulting from ultraviolet radiation produce discoloration and significant changes in the surface properties of polycarbonate ͑PC͒. To prevent photon absorption from irradiation and oxygen diffusion and to enhance the surface nanomechanical properties of PC, thin ceramic coatings of ZnO and Al 2 O 3 ͑both The chemical reactions resulting from ultraviolet radiation produce discoloration and significant changes in the surface properties of polycarbonate (PC). To prevent photon absorption from irradiation and oxygen diffusion and to enhance the surface nanomechanical properties of PC, thin ceramic coatings of ZnO and Al2O3 (both single- and multi-layer) were deposited on bulk PC by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The samples were irradiated at wavelengths greater than 300nm, representative of outdoor conditions. Despite the effectiveness of ZnO to protect PC from irradiation damage, photocatalytic oxidation at the PC/ZnO interface was the limiting factor. To overcome this deficiency, a thin Al2O3 coating was used both as intermediate and top layer because of its higher hardness and wear resistance than ZnO. Therefore, PC∕Al2O3∕ZnO, PC∕ZnO∕Al2O3, and PC∕Al2O3∕ZnO∕Al2O3 layered media were fabricated and their photodegradation properties were examined by infrared and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. It was found that the photocatalytic activity at the PC/ZnO interface was reduced in the presence of the intermediate Al2O3 layer that limited the oxygen permeability. Nanomechanical experiments performed with a surface force apparatus revealed that the previous coating systems enhanced both the surface nanohardness and the elastic modulus and reduced the coefficient of friction in the order of ZnO,Al2O3, and Al2O3∕ZnO∕Al2O3. Although irradiation increased the nanohardness and the elastic modulus of PC, the irradiation effect on the surface mechanical properties of ceramic-coated PC was secondary