Are you interested in experiencing what it would be like to advise clients in the field of innovation and Urban Renewal in the 21st century? Then choose the 21st Century Urban Innovation minor! As an Urban Innovation Consultant, you will be solving issues in a multidisciplinary international team with the goal of making cities inclusive, smart, resilient and sustainable.

As a Junior Urban Innovation Consultant, you will discover what it is like to work with national and international students from different study programmes on an assignment from an external client. Examples of clients include companies, institutions and even government bodies. Each junior consultant brings their unique perspective to an issue based on their own area of expertise and together you will come up with innovative solutions, supervised by an Avans teacher, lecturer-researcher or senior consultant. The Urban Innovation minor is a based in the Urban Living Lab Breda.

You will act in a team with several other students to work on a shared assignment. As a specialist in your area of expertise, you will be expected to contribute your specific know-how and put your skills to work.

* Programme structure 

The Urban Innovation minor spans 20 weeks. You will be placed in a team with several other students to work on a shared assignment. As a specialist in your field, you are expected to contribute your specific know-how and put your skills to work. 

For 2 scheduled days a week, you will be working from the Urban Living Lab right in the centre of Breda and 1 day a week will be spent with your team on location with the client. These dates are always planned in coordination with the client. The other 2 days will be spent on developing various competencies. In addition, you will stay in touch with fellow students and teachers for the duration of the minor via your own Virtual Learning Community. 

Approximately 20 hours a week will be spent on your group assignment for a period of 20 weeks. As a team you will be giving joint advice but you will also offer advice on an individual basis based on your area of expertise (this takes approximately 80 hours). 

 

* The minor focuses on themes such as: 

► Urban Mining: the Expertise Centre for Technical Innovation uses its technical expertise to look at the city as a "system" of "systems" that manages various resources, such as material, energy and digital data flow. We will examine ways of improving the management, creation and use of these resources. The ultimate goal is to make the city a fully circular system. To this end, the city itself must be as maintainable, repairable and adaptable as possible. It must also be able to create and recycle its resources locally, with targeted use of energy and logistics. This is an enormous challenge that requires small steps. In practice, this starts with small initiatives, such as a house that is designed to adapt to the resident’s needs or an automated vegetable garden in order to prevent or limit unnecessary maintenance. 

Examples of projects include: 

• Vertical (urban) farming and automated vegetable gardens
• Circular (chain) design for the future
• Smart grids / energy transition
• Smart lamp posts 

► The Vital City: the most important word for this theme is "balance". A liveable environment certainly does not always result in a win / win situation, but is constantly evolving. Increased liveability for humans often comes at the expense of natural resources. The costs incurred for (improved) care will have to be paid by the community. Robots that take over heavy or tedious jobs from factory employees may increase efficiency but also come at the cost of redundancies. The vital city is therefore constantly weighing up options and optimising the use of technology. Ethics, acceptance and security are all themes that play a role here. 

Examples of projects include:

• People-oriented production
• Automation using robots in co-creation with the professional
• Self-aware homes that can be adapted to residents

 

* Project steps

By studying a problem and finding solutions using an interdisciplinary approach that involves a variety of disciplines, you learn to develop innovative ideas as part of a team. The skills you acquire as a team member on this project are vital to your future role as a consultant. 

The steps involved in your team project are set out below. During each step, you will focus on obtaining the specific competencies required for the successful completion of the project. 

• Conducting an intake interview with the client 
• Defining and clarifying the assignment 
• Applying research methods 
• Analysing the data obtained 
• Formulating several solutions 
• Presenting your advice using a range of methods 

 

We've had students from all over the world for example: The Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Finland, Mexico, South Korea, Thailand, Colombia. The minor is not only multidisciplinary but also multicultural which gives it a very interesting setting! It's also good for your network. 

 

* Learning goals

You can apply the knowledge you acquire during the Urban Innovation minor immediately for the completion of your graduation project. 

After successfully completing this programme, you will be able to: 

• apply multidisciplinary expertise, both independently and as a team
• apply research methods
• analyse specific problems in the professional practice
• manage a consulting process
• direct the development of your skills, knowledge and attitude

* Career opportunities

Upon graduation, you will also be able to apply the skills acquired during the programme in a future role as manager or innovation consultant. As the Netherlands has the highest number of consultancy jobs in Europe, the career prospects in this country are good if your goal is a career in consultancy. 

* Entry criteria

This programme is open to students from all disciplines, national as international. You may enrol if you have:

• successfully completed the propaedeutic phase of your own study programme
• successfully completed your work placements
• completed at least three-quarters of your bachelor’s degree programme

You are expected to demonstrate strong skills and be highly motivated. To make sure you are aware what this programme demands, you will be invited to a personal intake interview.

* Schedule

The 21st Century Urban Innovation minor spans 20 weeks. You will be placed in a team with several other students to work on a shared assignment. As a specialist in your field, you are expected to contribute your specific know-how and put your skills to work.

For 2 scheduled days a week, you will be working from the Urban Living Lab right in the centre of Breda and 1 day a week will be spent with your team on location with the client. These dates are always planned in coordination with the client. The other 2 days will be spent on developing various competencies. In addition, you will stay in touch with fellow students and teachers for the duration of the minor via your own Virtual Learning Community.

Approximately 20 hours a week will be spent on your group assignment for a period of 20 weeks. As a team you will be giving joint advice but you will also offer advice on an individual basis based on your area of expertise (this takes approximately 80 hours).

* Assessment

The 21st Century Urban Innovation minor is taught at the Urban Living Lab in Breda. The programme’s lecturers will act as senior consultants who will help you as junior consultants to achieve results. As part of this process, you will listen to campfire stories, take part in training sessions and take courses concerning the research approach, project implementation and applied knowledge related to the professional context. We use the Virtual Action Learning Method.

Various guest speakers, such as consultants and other professionals in the fields of research, personal development and more, will provide the necessary expertise. You will gain experience in:

• communicate with real clients
• defining and clarifying the issue at hand
• applying research methods
• analysing data
• formulating solutions and advice
• presenting your advice

You will also work on various learning assignments to help you develop the 5 competencies that are central to the minor.

Level 
third-year bachelor's

Start of programme
Every September and February

Duration
1 semester (20 weeks / 30 ECTS credits)

Location 
Urban Living Lab Breda

Studielink
When you register for Avans University at Studielink please choose the course Business IT & Management. 

For questions please contact us by email:

- minoren.atix@avans.nl

- Paul Walraven 
  Coordinator Minor
  pha.walraven@avans.nl

see also: Minor Urban Innovation @ Urban Living Lab Breda