Description
In such a detailed outline around sustainability entrepreneurship in engineering amy hsiao.
Proc. 2014 Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA14) Conf.
CEEA14; Paper 47
Canmore, AB; J une 8-11, 2014 – 1 of 5 –
Sustainability Entrepreneurship in Engineering
Amy Hsiao
Memorial University of Newfoundland
[email protected]
Abstract – Sustainability entrepreneurship is the use of
innovative enterprise in a strategic manner to address a
sustainability-related issue. By its operation, the process
of sustainability entrepreneurship adds to the
improvement of social, economic, and environmental
concerns related to human quality of life. This work
proposes that the distinction of sustainability
entrepreneurship is having the business activity a
characteristic of the innovation and making engineering
or technology a critical component of the business
solution. This work discusses how sustainability
entrepreneurship can be introduced in undergraduate and
graduate engineering curriculum, specifically through a
materials science laboratory, engineering
entrepreneurship, and engineering management
experiences. Examples in this work demonstrate that
sustainability entrepreneurship is a progression that
begins with an understanding of the technical issues of
sustainability as an engineering student, moves to the
motivation, drive and identification of an opportunity that
creates of a product or service valuable to an identified
market, and finally creates a business that adds to the
sustainability of life-supporting systems in the process.
Keywords: innovation, life cycle assessment, new product
development, management.
1. INTRODUCTION
The topic of sustainability is a broadly defined one
that spans many academic disciplines, from business,
economics, and the social sciences, to science and
engineering. This work focuses on applying integrated
knowledge and interest in Materials Science and
Engineering (MSE) and Engineering Management (EM)
to inspire, define, and create innovation for sustainability
in engineering students.
The paradigm of Materials Science and Engineering is
inherently focused on sustainability, as opportunity for
innovation and design is possible at each step of the
Performance, Processing, Properties, and Microstructure
cycle, shown in Figure 1. Synthetic fibers, the decreasing
size of microchips, as examples, and mechanization,
automation, and standardization have certainly changed
the process yields and quality of manufactured products.
Fig. 1. Materials Paradigm
The forms that opportunities take are often specifically
materials-related [6]:
• Use of raw materials
• Altering product dimensions
• Improving physical properties of products
• Improving product performance
• New production processes
• Scale and form of production
The forms that these opportunities take to impact
sustainability can also be depicted by a life cycle
assessment (LCA), in which technology innovation and
engineering design is possible at each step, shown in
Figure 2.
• Materials
• Manufacture
• Transport
• Use
• Disposal
• End of Life Potential
Materials Science
and Engineering
Performance
Properties
Microstructure
Processing
Proc. 2014 Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA14) Conf.
CEEA14; Paper 47
Canmore, AB; J une 8-11, 2014 – 2 of 5 –
The selection of materials, the manufacturing, assembly,
and product design of these materials for applications
(e.g. in energy, construction, defense, transportation, and
communication/information), their transport, and their
disposal, can be considered in which sustainability is not
only a business objective but a way of doing business.
Environmental impact as measured by energy costs,
carbon dioxide CO
2
footprint, and end-of-life potential
(EoL) at each step can be optimized in new product
development and as a vital component of entrepreneurial
strategy.
Fig. 2. Life Cycle Assessment
2. SUSTAINABILITY FOR ENGINEERING
MANAGERS
The Master of Engineering Management (MEM)
program in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied
Science (FEAS) at Memorial University of Newfoundland
(MUN) offers three graduate-level courses in which the
topic of sustainability for technology and
entrepreneurship are presented: (1) Engineering
Management Topics and (2) Advanced Modeling and
Quality Management, and (3) one course in which the
topic can be applied or explored as a two-semester, two-
credit MEM Research Project. Over the last four years,
approximately a quarter of the MEM projects have
focused on sustainability entrepreneurship in engineering.
2.1 New Product Development
One example from an MEM project focused on the
evaluation of how the automotive industry in North
America defined and conducted self-assessments on their
sustainability. In this project, a novel sustainability
indicators matrix, similar to a key performance matrix,
was proposed by the MEM student, after collecting
feedback from production line managers, on what
components of sustainability were important to operations
and business management.
Another MEM project researched the new venture
feasibility of collecting and recycling stockpiles of old
tires into construction-pavement materials in
Newfoundland. The innovation in this case was not only
the end-product but the strategy of addressing a location-
based opportunity that considered each step of the LCA
and altered the end-of-life potential of automobile tires, as
shown in Figure 3 [5].
Fig. 3. Life Cycle Assessment of New Product from
Reuse/Recycle of Car Tires Increasing End-of-Life
Potential
Other similar examples of MEM projects have included
the processing of biomass into fuels and the new venture
creation of a plastics recycling entity in an
underdeveloped country, using the model of the “CurbIt
Curbside Recycling and Waste Management” Campaign
in St. J ohn’s.
2.2 Strategy
The integration of the materials paradigm and the
LCA model shown in Figures 1 and 2 can be compared
with strategic business models and considered in what is
defined as “strategic positioning” by M.E. Porter, i.e.
“performing different activities from rivals' or performing
similar activities in different ways” [5]. In addition, the
engineering-entrepreneurial approach should in fact
include sustainability in as many components of the
business model of a technology-based enterprise, as
shown in Figure 4. For example, a firm’s mission, or
mission statement, describes why it exists and what its
business model is supposed to accomplish. If
sustainability is a focused objective, then all following
Raw
Materials
Engineered
Materials
Transport Applications
Waste
Environment
Collection
and Reuse
of Old
Tires
Recycling
Processing to
New Product
Truck/Sea
Transport to
Distributors
Use as
Pavement
"Bricks"
Landfill,
Recycle, or
Reuse
Environment-
World
Proc. 2014 Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA14) Conf.
CEEA14; Paper 47
Canmore, AB; J une 8-11, 2014 – 3 of 5 –
decisions will either reinforce or optimize this strategic
differentiation. Similarly, a core competency is a
resource or capability that serves as a source of a firm’s
competitive advantage, and if sustainability is
incorporated as part of the venture’s core competency,
then all strategic decisions pertaining to assets,
partnerships, pricing and customer engagement will either
reinforce or optimize this [2]. These concepts are
discussed in the MEM program and at the undergraduate
level in an elective called Engineering Entrepreneurship.
Core
Strategy
Mission
Scope
Differentiation
Strategic
Resources
Core
competences
Assets
Networks
Suppliers
Other partnerships
Customer
Interface
Fulfillment
Support
Pricing
Fig. 4. Components of a Business Model [3]
3. IDENTIFYING NEW VENTURE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUSTAINABILITY
It can be argued that emphasis on sustainability in
entrepreneurship has been implicitly communicated over
the last few years but not specifically made a focus in
undergraduate curriculum. Sustainability has been
discussed in the context of observing trends and external
factors (economic, social, regulatory, technological,
political and legal) for identifying new venture
opportunities. In engineering curriculum, it is sometimes
implied in design courses. In this work, a review of the
undergraduate business ventures that have been
researched and pursued by students over the last four
years in the course Engineering Entrepreneurship in the
FEAS at MUN reflect this “implied focus” in three areas:
• Sustainability as an opportunity
• Sustainability as a business model component
• Sustainability as a business objective, i.e. for a
product or service
Figure 5 shows that approximately a quarter of these
business ideas are related to one of the three points above.
When categorized into the Ansoff Matrix of potential
product-market growth, it can be seen that the majority of
these new ventures ideas are new products in existing
markets, or focused on new product development [1].
Product Development (new product or service in
existing market)
• Small-scale, hydro-based energy generator
• Bluetooth technology to track people during
evacuation or emergency
• Cursor manipulation via eye movement
• Home energy monitoring system
• Collapsible lobster trap
• Electric motorcycle
• Organic fertilizer (from chicken farm)
• Downtown transport
• Laundry service
Market development (present product/service in
new market
• “Green” construction waste management in NL
and removal from NL
Diversification (new product or service in new
market)
• Home energy audits
Fig.5. Business Feasibility Ideas Focusing on
Sustainability
For the focus on sustainability entrepreneurship to be
more specifically emphasized in engineering curriculum,
an increase in student exposure to sustainability as a
theme or component in design, materials selection, and
manufacturing would be significant.
4. MATERIALS SUSTAINABILITY AND
SUSTAINABILITY ENTREPRENEURSHIP
In the Winter 2014 semester of Chemistry and Physics
of Materials II, a new lab was implemented using
materials selection software in which Term 8 Mechanical
and Process Engineering students considered the issue of
materials sustainability. The lab session introduced the
students to the “Eco-Audit” element of the CES Edu-Pak
package developed by Michael Ashby and his company,
Granta Materials Inspiration and Design [4]. Students
were then asked to take on the scenario of engineering-
entrepreneurs who wanted to consider sustainability in the
production of their products. The students were asked to
prepare a technical memorandum discussing the life cycle
assessment of a product of their choice. Students were to
indicate four parameters to vary in the input (raw
materials, manufacturing processes), transport, use, and
disposal stages of the LCA. They were to consider the
significance of each stage and the reuse-recycle-recover
potential at end-of-life. The collection of selected
products was:
• Kayak
• Bike helmet
• Bike frame
• Snowboard
• Hockey rink glass
• Bulletproof vest
• Keurig K-cups
• Wetsuit
Proc. 2014 Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA14) Conf.
CEEA14; Paper 47
Canmore, AB; J une 8-11, 2014 – 4 of 5 –
• Tennis racket
• Wind turbine
• Guitar strings
• Eyeglass frames
• Egg cartons
Figures 6 and 7 display abridged examples of students’
reflection on the LCA parameters to evaluate materials
sustainability.
“This memorandum is written to relay the findings of a
product eco-design technique study. Research was done to
find appropriate materials for a wetsuit, as well as realistic
means of manufacture, transport and disposal.
For the basis of this study, an Eco-Audit report was
conducted for wetsuits that could be utilized in
Newfoundland waters, therefore the design needed to include
thick materials, durable seals, and long sleeve and pant legs.
The basis of this suit would need to be made of a material
that can sustain extremely cold, salt-water conditions.
Parameters including materials, manufacturing,
transportation, and end-of-life processes were researched,
and a wetsuit base-case model was created.
The base-case model of the wetsuit was fabricated from 5
mm thick neoprene for the body, with an estimated weight of
4 lbs. Silicon cuffs were then added with an estimated weight
of 0.5 lbs. Other materials include a zipper made of
polyoxymethylene (POM), liquid taping for seams made of
natural rubber, and nylon lining for the inside of the suit.
The total weight of material was estimated to be 5 lbs. The
life span of the wetsuit was estimated to be 5 years and the
end-of-life disposal for all components was landfill. It was
assumed that the materials would be shipped by plane from
Beijing to Vancouver. After being manufactured in
Vancouver the wetsuits would be transported to Sydney,
Nova Scotia by truck, and then taken by ferry from Sydney to
Port Aux Basque.”
Fig.6. Example Sustainability Parameters for a Wetsuit
“Through research, the essential materials of a standard
snowboard were determined to be its core, two fiberglass
sheets, top and bottom sheets and its edges. These
components resemble a structural composite or more
specifically, a sandwich panel. For the purposes of this
memo, the core piece was the only material altered. This is
consistent with the marketplace, where the other materials
remain relatively consistent from manufacturer to
manufacturer. Three materials for the products core were
analyzed: Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP), pine
wood and oak wood. It should be noted that the materials
used for the fiberglass sheets, top and bottom sheets and
edges were Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP),
polyethylene and stainless steel.
One goal during the audit was to keep the process and
product as local as possible, for this reason transportation
was chosen as the next parameter. With exception to the
polyethylene, used for the top and bottom sheets, all
materials were sourced from vendors in Newfoundland and
would be transported to the plant in Corner Brook via truck.
The polyethylene would be transported from the closest
manufacturer, based out of Lachine, Quebec. Two
transportation methods are evaluated later in the report. The
first method consists of the polyethylene being transported
via ground and ferry while the other consists of
predominantly airfreight”
Fig.7. Example Sustainability Parameters for a Snowboard
Figure 8 shows example work from students considering
the CO
2
footprint of a one-serving disposable coffee cup
design using different cup materials and transport
combinations. The students analyzed the most significant
stages of the LCA for 100,000 non-recyclable, one-serve
cups to be shipped from Massachusetts to St. J ohn’s
(truck and sea) and showed that with a change in
materials selection and type of processing, a significant
reduction in the CO
2
footprint of the product could be
made.
Fig.8. Comparison of CO2 Output in Kg by Different One-
Serving Cup Materials and Processing.
5. DISCUSSION
5.1 Assessment of Impact and Effectiveness
It can be argued that understanding and applying
sustainability in engineering and entrepreneurship has
more qualitative measures and a longer-term impact. In
the projects discussed in this work, the quality of the
outcomes was evaluated as ranging from satisfactory to
excellent. In all cases, it was significantly clear that
undergraduate students are interested in learning how to
12,800
8,610 8,620
3,040
2,610
2,490
Regular
Cups
Regular
Cups
Recycle
Lid and
Paper
BioPlastic
Cups
BioPlastic
Cups
Recycled
BioPlastic
Cups and
Lids
Recycled
BioPlastic
Cups and
Lids
Recycled
and SEA
FREIGHT
Proc. 2014 Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA14) Conf.
CEEA14; Paper 47
Canmore, AB; J une 8-11, 2014 – 5 of 5 –
evaluate and apply sustainability and would like to see it
as a theme or component in their engineering course. In
terms of the Canadian Engineering Graduate Attributes,
almost all of the attributes were addressed with the
projects described in this work [3]:
• Problem analysis
• Investigation
• Design
• Use of Engineering Tools
• Teamwork
• Communication skills
• Professionalism
• Impact of Engineering on Society and the
Environment
• Ethics and Equity
• Economics and Project Management
• Life-long learning
In addition, the author welcomes ideas and suggestions of
assessment techniques that have been effective in
quantifying and qualifying sustainability in engineering
entrepreneurship.
5.2 Sustainability in Service
In this work, sustainability is discussed only in the
sense of engineered materials and products. There are
considerations for sustainability with service-based
applications and new ventures, and these may be aligned
with lean operations, optimization, and quality
management. In the realm of this work, while not
discussed, service-based sustainability is being further
developed for the MEM course Advanced Modeling and
Quality Management and has been the topic of a few
MEM projects.
5.3 Champion for Sustainability
The dynamics and structure of an entrepreneurial
endeavor are usually enforced and exemplified by the
organization’s champions. These champions may include
the venture’s founders, and just as it is important to have
champions for organizational culture, knowledge sharing
and management, and empowering leadership, it is
critically important for entrepreneurial firms, as well as
undergraduate and graduate Engineering departments, to
have champions for sustainability. These champions
practice “motivating and managing by walking around
(MBWA)” and are ready to discuss the important aspects
of sustainability.
6. CONCLUSION
This work presented sustainability entrepreneurship
through the models of Materials Science and Engineering
for engineered materials and engineered products,
Engineering Management, Life Cycle Assessments, and
Strategic Management. The educational activities to
incorporate the topic of sustainability in engineering
curriculum is just beginning, and sustainability
entrepreneurship will be better defined and demonstrated
in years to come. Sustainability entrepreneurship is a
progression that begins with:
• an understanding of the technical issues of
sustainability
• a motivation, drive and identification of an
opportunity
• the creation of a product or service valuable to an
identified market
• the formation of a business entity that aids in the
preservation of life-supporting systems and the
environment
The use of innovative enterprise in a strategic manner
to address a sustainability-related issue, while
contributing to the improvement of social, economic, and
environmental concerns related to human quality of life,
is certainly a concept for future engineers to embrace and
consider. This work proposes that the essence of
sustainability entrepreneurship is having the business
activity a characteristic of the technology innovation and
making engineering design a critical component of the
business solution.
References
[1] H. Igor Ansoff, “Strategies for Diversification” Harvard
Business Review, 1957, 113-124.
[2] Bruce R. Barringer and Duane Ireland, Entrepreneurship:
Successfully Launching New Ventures (4/e). Prentice Hall,
2012, 592 pp.
[3] Engineers Canada,http://www.engineerscanada.ca/
[4] Granta Design Eco-Audit CES Edu-Pak,http://www.grantadesign.com/education/edupack/
[5] Michael E. Porter, “What is Strategy?” Harvard Business
Review, November-December 1996, 61-78.
[6] Scott A. Shane, Finding Fertile Ground: Identifying
Extraordinary Opportunities for New Venture. Pearson
Prentice Hall, New J ersey, 2005, 256 pp.
doc_559223119.pdf
In such a detailed outline around sustainability entrepreneurship in engineering amy hsiao.
Proc. 2014 Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA14) Conf.
CEEA14; Paper 47
Canmore, AB; J une 8-11, 2014 – 1 of 5 –
Sustainability Entrepreneurship in Engineering
Amy Hsiao
Memorial University of Newfoundland
[email protected]
Abstract – Sustainability entrepreneurship is the use of
innovative enterprise in a strategic manner to address a
sustainability-related issue. By its operation, the process
of sustainability entrepreneurship adds to the
improvement of social, economic, and environmental
concerns related to human quality of life. This work
proposes that the distinction of sustainability
entrepreneurship is having the business activity a
characteristic of the innovation and making engineering
or technology a critical component of the business
solution. This work discusses how sustainability
entrepreneurship can be introduced in undergraduate and
graduate engineering curriculum, specifically through a
materials science laboratory, engineering
entrepreneurship, and engineering management
experiences. Examples in this work demonstrate that
sustainability entrepreneurship is a progression that
begins with an understanding of the technical issues of
sustainability as an engineering student, moves to the
motivation, drive and identification of an opportunity that
creates of a product or service valuable to an identified
market, and finally creates a business that adds to the
sustainability of life-supporting systems in the process.
Keywords: innovation, life cycle assessment, new product
development, management.
1. INTRODUCTION
The topic of sustainability is a broadly defined one
that spans many academic disciplines, from business,
economics, and the social sciences, to science and
engineering. This work focuses on applying integrated
knowledge and interest in Materials Science and
Engineering (MSE) and Engineering Management (EM)
to inspire, define, and create innovation for sustainability
in engineering students.
The paradigm of Materials Science and Engineering is
inherently focused on sustainability, as opportunity for
innovation and design is possible at each step of the
Performance, Processing, Properties, and Microstructure
cycle, shown in Figure 1. Synthetic fibers, the decreasing
size of microchips, as examples, and mechanization,
automation, and standardization have certainly changed
the process yields and quality of manufactured products.
Fig. 1. Materials Paradigm
The forms that opportunities take are often specifically
materials-related [6]:
• Use of raw materials
• Altering product dimensions
• Improving physical properties of products
• Improving product performance
• New production processes
• Scale and form of production
The forms that these opportunities take to impact
sustainability can also be depicted by a life cycle
assessment (LCA), in which technology innovation and
engineering design is possible at each step, shown in
Figure 2.
• Materials
• Manufacture
• Transport
• Use
• Disposal
• End of Life Potential
Materials Science
and Engineering
Performance
Properties
Microstructure
Processing
Proc. 2014 Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA14) Conf.
CEEA14; Paper 47
Canmore, AB; J une 8-11, 2014 – 2 of 5 –
The selection of materials, the manufacturing, assembly,
and product design of these materials for applications
(e.g. in energy, construction, defense, transportation, and
communication/information), their transport, and their
disposal, can be considered in which sustainability is not
only a business objective but a way of doing business.
Environmental impact as measured by energy costs,
carbon dioxide CO
2
footprint, and end-of-life potential
(EoL) at each step can be optimized in new product
development and as a vital component of entrepreneurial
strategy.
Fig. 2. Life Cycle Assessment
2. SUSTAINABILITY FOR ENGINEERING
MANAGERS
The Master of Engineering Management (MEM)
program in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied
Science (FEAS) at Memorial University of Newfoundland
(MUN) offers three graduate-level courses in which the
topic of sustainability for technology and
entrepreneurship are presented: (1) Engineering
Management Topics and (2) Advanced Modeling and
Quality Management, and (3) one course in which the
topic can be applied or explored as a two-semester, two-
credit MEM Research Project. Over the last four years,
approximately a quarter of the MEM projects have
focused on sustainability entrepreneurship in engineering.
2.1 New Product Development
One example from an MEM project focused on the
evaluation of how the automotive industry in North
America defined and conducted self-assessments on their
sustainability. In this project, a novel sustainability
indicators matrix, similar to a key performance matrix,
was proposed by the MEM student, after collecting
feedback from production line managers, on what
components of sustainability were important to operations
and business management.
Another MEM project researched the new venture
feasibility of collecting and recycling stockpiles of old
tires into construction-pavement materials in
Newfoundland. The innovation in this case was not only
the end-product but the strategy of addressing a location-
based opportunity that considered each step of the LCA
and altered the end-of-life potential of automobile tires, as
shown in Figure 3 [5].
Fig. 3. Life Cycle Assessment of New Product from
Reuse/Recycle of Car Tires Increasing End-of-Life
Potential
Other similar examples of MEM projects have included
the processing of biomass into fuels and the new venture
creation of a plastics recycling entity in an
underdeveloped country, using the model of the “CurbIt
Curbside Recycling and Waste Management” Campaign
in St. J ohn’s.
2.2 Strategy
The integration of the materials paradigm and the
LCA model shown in Figures 1 and 2 can be compared
with strategic business models and considered in what is
defined as “strategic positioning” by M.E. Porter, i.e.
“performing different activities from rivals' or performing
similar activities in different ways” [5]. In addition, the
engineering-entrepreneurial approach should in fact
include sustainability in as many components of the
business model of a technology-based enterprise, as
shown in Figure 4. For example, a firm’s mission, or
mission statement, describes why it exists and what its
business model is supposed to accomplish. If
sustainability is a focused objective, then all following
Raw
Materials
Engineered
Materials
Transport Applications
Waste
Environment
Collection
and Reuse
of Old
Tires
Recycling
Processing to
New Product
Truck/Sea
Transport to
Distributors
Use as
Pavement
"Bricks"
Landfill,
Recycle, or
Reuse
Environment-
World
Proc. 2014 Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA14) Conf.
CEEA14; Paper 47
Canmore, AB; J une 8-11, 2014 – 3 of 5 –
decisions will either reinforce or optimize this strategic
differentiation. Similarly, a core competency is a
resource or capability that serves as a source of a firm’s
competitive advantage, and if sustainability is
incorporated as part of the venture’s core competency,
then all strategic decisions pertaining to assets,
partnerships, pricing and customer engagement will either
reinforce or optimize this [2]. These concepts are
discussed in the MEM program and at the undergraduate
level in an elective called Engineering Entrepreneurship.
Core
Strategy
Mission
Scope
Differentiation
Strategic
Resources
Core
competences
Assets
Networks
Suppliers
Other partnerships
Customer
Interface
Fulfillment
Support
Pricing
Fig. 4. Components of a Business Model [3]
3. IDENTIFYING NEW VENTURE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUSTAINABILITY
It can be argued that emphasis on sustainability in
entrepreneurship has been implicitly communicated over
the last few years but not specifically made a focus in
undergraduate curriculum. Sustainability has been
discussed in the context of observing trends and external
factors (economic, social, regulatory, technological,
political and legal) for identifying new venture
opportunities. In engineering curriculum, it is sometimes
implied in design courses. In this work, a review of the
undergraduate business ventures that have been
researched and pursued by students over the last four
years in the course Engineering Entrepreneurship in the
FEAS at MUN reflect this “implied focus” in three areas:
• Sustainability as an opportunity
• Sustainability as a business model component
• Sustainability as a business objective, i.e. for a
product or service
Figure 5 shows that approximately a quarter of these
business ideas are related to one of the three points above.
When categorized into the Ansoff Matrix of potential
product-market growth, it can be seen that the majority of
these new ventures ideas are new products in existing
markets, or focused on new product development [1].
Product Development (new product or service in
existing market)
• Small-scale, hydro-based energy generator
• Bluetooth technology to track people during
evacuation or emergency
• Cursor manipulation via eye movement
• Home energy monitoring system
• Collapsible lobster trap
• Electric motorcycle
• Organic fertilizer (from chicken farm)
• Downtown transport
• Laundry service
Market development (present product/service in
new market
• “Green” construction waste management in NL
and removal from NL
Diversification (new product or service in new
market)
• Home energy audits
Fig.5. Business Feasibility Ideas Focusing on
Sustainability
For the focus on sustainability entrepreneurship to be
more specifically emphasized in engineering curriculum,
an increase in student exposure to sustainability as a
theme or component in design, materials selection, and
manufacturing would be significant.
4. MATERIALS SUSTAINABILITY AND
SUSTAINABILITY ENTREPRENEURSHIP
In the Winter 2014 semester of Chemistry and Physics
of Materials II, a new lab was implemented using
materials selection software in which Term 8 Mechanical
and Process Engineering students considered the issue of
materials sustainability. The lab session introduced the
students to the “Eco-Audit” element of the CES Edu-Pak
package developed by Michael Ashby and his company,
Granta Materials Inspiration and Design [4]. Students
were then asked to take on the scenario of engineering-
entrepreneurs who wanted to consider sustainability in the
production of their products. The students were asked to
prepare a technical memorandum discussing the life cycle
assessment of a product of their choice. Students were to
indicate four parameters to vary in the input (raw
materials, manufacturing processes), transport, use, and
disposal stages of the LCA. They were to consider the
significance of each stage and the reuse-recycle-recover
potential at end-of-life. The collection of selected
products was:
• Kayak
• Bike helmet
• Bike frame
• Snowboard
• Hockey rink glass
• Bulletproof vest
• Keurig K-cups
• Wetsuit
Proc. 2014 Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA14) Conf.
CEEA14; Paper 47
Canmore, AB; J une 8-11, 2014 – 4 of 5 –
• Tennis racket
• Wind turbine
• Guitar strings
• Eyeglass frames
• Egg cartons
Figures 6 and 7 display abridged examples of students’
reflection on the LCA parameters to evaluate materials
sustainability.
“This memorandum is written to relay the findings of a
product eco-design technique study. Research was done to
find appropriate materials for a wetsuit, as well as realistic
means of manufacture, transport and disposal.
For the basis of this study, an Eco-Audit report was
conducted for wetsuits that could be utilized in
Newfoundland waters, therefore the design needed to include
thick materials, durable seals, and long sleeve and pant legs.
The basis of this suit would need to be made of a material
that can sustain extremely cold, salt-water conditions.
Parameters including materials, manufacturing,
transportation, and end-of-life processes were researched,
and a wetsuit base-case model was created.
The base-case model of the wetsuit was fabricated from 5
mm thick neoprene for the body, with an estimated weight of
4 lbs. Silicon cuffs were then added with an estimated weight
of 0.5 lbs. Other materials include a zipper made of
polyoxymethylene (POM), liquid taping for seams made of
natural rubber, and nylon lining for the inside of the suit.
The total weight of material was estimated to be 5 lbs. The
life span of the wetsuit was estimated to be 5 years and the
end-of-life disposal for all components was landfill. It was
assumed that the materials would be shipped by plane from
Beijing to Vancouver. After being manufactured in
Vancouver the wetsuits would be transported to Sydney,
Nova Scotia by truck, and then taken by ferry from Sydney to
Port Aux Basque.”
Fig.6. Example Sustainability Parameters for a Wetsuit
“Through research, the essential materials of a standard
snowboard were determined to be its core, two fiberglass
sheets, top and bottom sheets and its edges. These
components resemble a structural composite or more
specifically, a sandwich panel. For the purposes of this
memo, the core piece was the only material altered. This is
consistent with the marketplace, where the other materials
remain relatively consistent from manufacturer to
manufacturer. Three materials for the products core were
analyzed: Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP), pine
wood and oak wood. It should be noted that the materials
used for the fiberglass sheets, top and bottom sheets and
edges were Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP),
polyethylene and stainless steel.
One goal during the audit was to keep the process and
product as local as possible, for this reason transportation
was chosen as the next parameter. With exception to the
polyethylene, used for the top and bottom sheets, all
materials were sourced from vendors in Newfoundland and
would be transported to the plant in Corner Brook via truck.
The polyethylene would be transported from the closest
manufacturer, based out of Lachine, Quebec. Two
transportation methods are evaluated later in the report. The
first method consists of the polyethylene being transported
via ground and ferry while the other consists of
predominantly airfreight”
Fig.7. Example Sustainability Parameters for a Snowboard
Figure 8 shows example work from students considering
the CO
2
footprint of a one-serving disposable coffee cup
design using different cup materials and transport
combinations. The students analyzed the most significant
stages of the LCA for 100,000 non-recyclable, one-serve
cups to be shipped from Massachusetts to St. J ohn’s
(truck and sea) and showed that with a change in
materials selection and type of processing, a significant
reduction in the CO
2
footprint of the product could be
made.
Fig.8. Comparison of CO2 Output in Kg by Different One-
Serving Cup Materials and Processing.
5. DISCUSSION
5.1 Assessment of Impact and Effectiveness
It can be argued that understanding and applying
sustainability in engineering and entrepreneurship has
more qualitative measures and a longer-term impact. In
the projects discussed in this work, the quality of the
outcomes was evaluated as ranging from satisfactory to
excellent. In all cases, it was significantly clear that
undergraduate students are interested in learning how to
12,800
8,610 8,620
3,040
2,610
2,490
Regular
Cups
Regular
Cups
Recycle
Lid and
Paper
BioPlastic
Cups
BioPlastic
Cups
Recycled
BioPlastic
Cups and
Lids
Recycled
BioPlastic
Cups and
Lids
Recycled
and SEA
FREIGHT
Proc. 2014 Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA14) Conf.
CEEA14; Paper 47
Canmore, AB; J une 8-11, 2014 – 5 of 5 –
evaluate and apply sustainability and would like to see it
as a theme or component in their engineering course. In
terms of the Canadian Engineering Graduate Attributes,
almost all of the attributes were addressed with the
projects described in this work [3]:
• Problem analysis
• Investigation
• Design
• Use of Engineering Tools
• Teamwork
• Communication skills
• Professionalism
• Impact of Engineering on Society and the
Environment
• Ethics and Equity
• Economics and Project Management
• Life-long learning
In addition, the author welcomes ideas and suggestions of
assessment techniques that have been effective in
quantifying and qualifying sustainability in engineering
entrepreneurship.
5.2 Sustainability in Service
In this work, sustainability is discussed only in the
sense of engineered materials and products. There are
considerations for sustainability with service-based
applications and new ventures, and these may be aligned
with lean operations, optimization, and quality
management. In the realm of this work, while not
discussed, service-based sustainability is being further
developed for the MEM course Advanced Modeling and
Quality Management and has been the topic of a few
MEM projects.
5.3 Champion for Sustainability
The dynamics and structure of an entrepreneurial
endeavor are usually enforced and exemplified by the
organization’s champions. These champions may include
the venture’s founders, and just as it is important to have
champions for organizational culture, knowledge sharing
and management, and empowering leadership, it is
critically important for entrepreneurial firms, as well as
undergraduate and graduate Engineering departments, to
have champions for sustainability. These champions
practice “motivating and managing by walking around
(MBWA)” and are ready to discuss the important aspects
of sustainability.
6. CONCLUSION
This work presented sustainability entrepreneurship
through the models of Materials Science and Engineering
for engineered materials and engineered products,
Engineering Management, Life Cycle Assessments, and
Strategic Management. The educational activities to
incorporate the topic of sustainability in engineering
curriculum is just beginning, and sustainability
entrepreneurship will be better defined and demonstrated
in years to come. Sustainability entrepreneurship is a
progression that begins with:
• an understanding of the technical issues of
sustainability
• a motivation, drive and identification of an
opportunity
• the creation of a product or service valuable to an
identified market
• the formation of a business entity that aids in the
preservation of life-supporting systems and the
environment
The use of innovative enterprise in a strategic manner
to address a sustainability-related issue, while
contributing to the improvement of social, economic, and
environmental concerns related to human quality of life,
is certainly a concept for future engineers to embrace and
consider. This work proposes that the essence of
sustainability entrepreneurship is having the business
activity a characteristic of the technology innovation and
making engineering design a critical component of the
business solution.
References
[1] H. Igor Ansoff, “Strategies for Diversification” Harvard
Business Review, 1957, 113-124.
[2] Bruce R. Barringer and Duane Ireland, Entrepreneurship:
Successfully Launching New Ventures (4/e). Prentice Hall,
2012, 592 pp.
[3] Engineers Canada,http://www.engineerscanada.ca/
[4] Granta Design Eco-Audit CES Edu-Pak,http://www.grantadesign.com/education/edupack/
[5] Michael E. Porter, “What is Strategy?” Harvard Business
Review, November-December 1996, 61-78.
[6] Scott A. Shane, Finding Fertile Ground: Identifying
Extraordinary Opportunities for New Venture. Pearson
Prentice Hall, New J ersey, 2005, 256 pp.
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