Mechanical Engineering Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS)

Overview

A mechanical engineer in Sustainable Design Engineering knows how to find the real needs of people and organizations, designs products, machines and services in creative cooperation, and respects the natural world and future well-being by making sure that the designs have a sustainable basis. This Mechanical Engineering program at Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS) will help you achieve these skills.

Sustainable Design Engineering may be the most important study field today, since it combines the three areas that together can make huge positive impacts towards a better world and future for people and the planet:

• Mechanical Engineering: Technologies form the basis of the modern world, and it is at the core of mechanical engineering to make things work as effectively as possible from the viewpoints of functionality to material usage and energy consumption. In the studies, it includes engineering mathematics, materials and production and structural mechanics, just to mention a few.
• Sustainable Development: Sustainability forms the background for everything – whatever we do, it must fit the sustainability frame, so that life can foster in this planet now and in the future. And believe it or not, it is not just recycling, but also understanding circular economics, material and product life-cycle analysis, social and cultural elements etc.

• Design Thinking: While engineering and technologies are the ways, i.e. HOW to make things work as well as possible, a design approach gives the purpose, the meaning, WHY we do things – what are the real needs and the most crucial problems to be solved from the perspectives of LIFE and in both, the big picture, and the human-size living. It means learning e.g., human-centered methods, creative ideation, and visualization, prototyping and concept design

Careers

Mechanical engineering engineers are highly sought after on the job market and the Finnish technology industry has good prospects. Also, there is a growing need for engineers who also understand the human-centred design and sustainability perspectives. Typical tasks can be found in engineering and design offices, industrial companies, public organizations, and technical trade tasks. With the experience starting from the one gained in this Mechanical Engineering program at Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS, the career opportunities diversify into demanding expert positions as well as supervisor and management positions. 

Mechanical engineers specialized in Sustainable Design Engineering can navigate in the fuzzy front-end of the design process by finding the real needs of the e.g., factory workers, and by understanding the circular economy requirements and possibilities. They can design creative technological solutions to fulfil those needs and requirements, e.g., everyday products, industrial machines, public services, and systems that combine these elements in human-centred and sustainable ways