Futures thinking and long-term challenges for energy engineers: the practical case of the InnoEnergy MSc Energy for Smart Cities Moonshot pilot at BarcelonaTech (UPC)

Abstract

The term “Moonshot Thinking” has become popular in the last few years and represents pursuing objectives that appear undoable, but it could redefine humanity if implemented. It should tackle enormous societal challenges in the long term and shape desired futures in the process. The urgency of climate change, the upcoming challenges, and the required outcomes make the energy domain an ideal field for applying this methodology. Therefore, the InnoEnergy MSc Energy for Smart Cities Moonshot pilot subject was implemented in the Master's program during the second year at the UPC in Barcelona. This project-based course aims to provide the students with skills in new project management methodologies, futures thinking, innovation, problem-solving, and rapid prototyping while addressing a huge problem in the field of energy and sustainable cities. The paper describes the design of this challenge-based course, discussing the experience of the two years of piloting implemented at the UPC, including the feedback from the students