From 4 to 8 October 2021, 18 students from Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences (HNU) took part in a design sprint as part of the Applied Design Thinking elective. The company Uhlmann Group set the students two design challenges: On the one hand, they had to develop a sustainable alternative to the conventional tablet blister. The other half of the course was dedicated to a concept for sustainable communication of innovation units along the pharmaceutical value chain.
This semester, creative work was again possible in the Innovation Space of the HNU under the 3G regulation. The entire project was supervised by Prof. Dr. Daniel Schallmo, Head of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and member of the IDT, and the team of the Institute for Digital Transformation (IDT). The common thread for the creative week was the seven-phase Applied Design Thinking method developed by Prof. Schallmo.
Uhlmann sees great potential in the solutions presented
On 22 October, the students presented their final solutions in the Innovation Space. The solutions developed include two communication concepts and two prototypes on the topic of "A world without blisters". In addition to Prof. Dr. Daniel Schallmo and the IDT team, Bastian Brinkmann, Head of the Uhlmann Group Innovation Lab, was also in the audience. Other colleagues involved were added via Zoom. The direct feedback to the students by Uhlmann employees showed that there was great potential behind the ideas. Bastian Brinkmann: "The solutions developed by the students shine particularly through their creativity and clear focus on the user and his needs."
The presentations were followed by a joint lunch as a finale, which was an ideal conclusion to a successful joint project in the course of transfers between universities and the business community.
Elective subject shines with practical relevance and lots of creativity
"The Design Thinking approach has shown me new tools for project work, through this I can work with new approaches in future projects," says Vanessa Straub. Through the various methods for design thinking, the students now feel very well prepared. Even if their heads were occasionally spinning, the feeling of having learned something for life prevails. In addition to methodological skills, presentation skills and the ability to work in a team were also strongly promoted. And all this in a very short time. "A task requires as much time as is available for its implementation. With this quote, Prof. Dr. Schallmo opened the Design Sprint on Monday morning.
About the Uhlmann Group
The Uhlmann Group Holding GmbH & Co. KG includes the companies Uhlmann Pac-Systeme, KOCH Pac-Systeme, Cremer Speciaalmachines, Wonder Packing Machinery and Axito. In 1948, Josef Uhlmann founded the original company of today's Group, Uhlmann Pac-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG. Building on the core competence in pharmaceutical packaging solutions, the companies of the Uhlmann Group today offer a wide range of high-tech packaging machines, services and digital solutions for the pharmaceutical, healthcare, consumer goods, food and agricultural markets. Represented at 19 locations in 14 countries worldwide, the Uhlmann Group generated sales of EUR 423 million in the fiscal year 2020/21 with around 2,600 employees.
