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Course

Global Team-Based Innovation (GTI)

  • Design Thinking
  • Innovation

Overview

Global Team-based Innovation (GTI) is a course designated for master students of the Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI) and the University of Potsdam (UP).

We follow the Design Thinking methodology to innovate on wicked problems given by our project partners. Within GTI, you will collaborate with students from other leading global universities: HPI is a partner in ME310 (for projects with the Stanford University) as well as part of the SUGAR Network for Design Innovation (for projects with other global universities).

Next information sessions (aka "Aquarium Sessions"):

  • Friday, August 29th 2025, 10 to 11 am (hybrid)

Please register via email to gti@hpi.de
Room information and online link will be provided per email – registration is not binding but for planning purposes

Content

Key Facts

Is this program for me?

To apply, you need to be a master student at the HPI or the University of Potsdam from various backgrounds, preferably with previous experience in IT, engineering, or business.

You need to bring the willingness to fully commit to your team and allow two days a week for this course.

What you can expect

  • 9-month course of extensive ideation, engineering, innovation, and user interaction
  • Relevant design challenge from a leading company
  • Self-reliant interdisciplinary teamwork partnering with a renowned university from around the world
  • Intensive tutoring within a creative space in dedicated project rooms
  • Budget for prototyping and traveling

Team Structure

Each team consists of a multidisciplinary student team from at least two universities including 6-8 globally distributed students (3-4 students in Potsdam and 3-4 students at the global partner university) who are required to stay in frequent dialog and have weekly meetings with their coaches and a regular status call with the corporate liaisons. The number of projects limits the number of participants.

Corporate Partners

In the course, you and your team tackle open design challenges of real companies, which are operating in various industries including consumer electronics, automotive, telecommunications, healthcare, aeronautics, software, household products, transportation, and government.

Project Examples

Students in earlier projects developed innovative solutions for insurance providers, reimagined the way how autonomous cars communicate through light for innovative car lighting and another student team developed Swissify, a platform for people moving to Switzerland.  

Another team founded a start-up that emerged from our program – Octotronic: In a project together with the BMW Group, the student team designed a remote error monitoring solution for error detection.  

Vimcar is Germany's lead fleet management software and counts as an established start-up with more than 250 employee. Vimcar is based in Berlin and had its roots in one of our projects.  

More projects

Application

Please send your application at gti@hpi.de, including:

  • Your CV, plus interesting extracurricular activities, hobbies, etc.
  • Bachelor & Master Transcript of Records
  • A motivational statement (max. 10 sentences) that shows why you want to join the course

Book your place

Global Team-Based Innovation (GTI)

Date
08.10.2025
Date
08.10.2025
Duration
9 months (2 Semester)
Languages
English
Format
Hybrid
Place
Hasso-Plattner-Institut
Campus II
August-Bebel-Straße 88
14482 Potsdam
Application Period
Application Deadline 1: August 1st 2025
Application Deadline 2: August 31nd 2025
Costs

free of charge

Contact & Advice Apply via e-mail
  • SUGAR
  • SUGAR
  • SUGAR

Objectives

At the end of the project, you present your solutions in booths at the EXPE Design Fair or EXPO.

Our project partners sponsor our travels and the prototyping budget. In exchange, they request the IP-rights of each member working on the project. However, in close communication with our partners, in the past we enabled that students were ...

  • … part of corporate innovations and kept on working in the company.
  • ... granted patents of their innovation on with their names.
  • ... able to found their own Start-Up out of the project, usually granting our partner priority access to their innovation.

Requirements

You need to demonstrate in-depth technical knowledge, be passionate about the task at hand, and be prepared to dedicate your creative energy to your team's success.

Once you have successfully completed our interview process, we request your binding commitment to enroll in the class starting October 8th, 2025. This commitment is essential for us to proceed with travel planning and to solidify our partnerships with corporate sponsors.

About the course

Students from Potsdam and leading global partner universities tackle design innovation challenges posed by global corporations. The 9 months (2 semesters) course focuses on the application of IT knowledge for engineering solutions to real business challenges. Further, we put emphasis on teaching you human-centered innovation methods and processes required for designers, engineers, and project managers of the future.  

Within the projects, you go through an intense and iterative process of need finding, ideation, and rapid prototyping to create and evaluate new concepts. Company involvement provides the reality check necessary for your team to improve your innovation abilities. Your team is supported by a professional coach, corporate liaisons, and faculty advisors.  

Projects typically involve systems integration and include a mix of mechanical, electronic and software design. The results of all projects are real prototypes that have a user-centric design, are economically viable and technically feasible.   

Module assignment

GTI I in the Winter Term 2025/26 - 6 ECTS

  • CS: HPI-PSK-DT, HPI-PSK-EI
  • ITSE: HPI-BPET-K, HPI-BPET-T, HPI-OSIS-K, HPI-OSIS-T, HPI-OSIS-S, HPI-BPET-S
  • SSE: HPI-SSYS-C, HPI-SSYS-T, HPI-SSYS-S, HPI-OISY-C, HPI-OISY-T, HPI-OISY-S, HPI-PSK-DT, HPI-PSK-EI
  • DH: HPI-DICR-C, HPI-DICR-T, HPI-DICR-S, HPI-APAD-C, HPI-APAD-T, HPI-APAD-S, HPI-PSK-ML, HPI-PSKDTA
  • DE: HPI-DAPP-K, HPI-DAPP-T, HPI-DAPP-S, HPI-PSK-DT, HPI-PSK-EI
  • CyS: HPI-PSK-DTA, HPI-PSK-ML

GTI II in the Summer Term 2026 - 6 ECTS

  • CS: HPI-PSK-DS, HPI-PSK-ES
  • ITSE: HPI-BPET-K, HPI-BPET-T, HPI-OSIS-K, HPI-OSIS-T, HPI-OSIS-S, HPI-BPET-S
  • SSE: HPI-SSYS-C, HPI-SSYS-T, HPI-SSYS-S, HPI-OISY-C, HPI-OISY-T, HPI-OISY-S, HPI-PSK-DT, HPI-PSK-EI
  • DH: HPI-DICR-C, HPI-DICR-T, HPI-DICR-S, HPI-APAD-C, HPI-APAD-T, HPI-APAD-S, HPI-PSK-ML, HPI-PSKDTA
  • DE: HPI-DAPP-K, HPI-DAPP-T, HPI-PSK-DT, HPI-PSK-EI
  • CyS: HPI-PSK-DTA, HPI-PSK-ML

Optional in the Summer Term 2026: IRP - 6 ECTS

  • If you're interested, feel free to contact our research group with your ideas and proposals related to human-centered design. We’re open to discussing potential collaborations.
  • CS: HPI-CS-IRP

The projects will be announced at the beginning of October.

 

Grading

Project work (20%)

  • Individual participation during lectures, group meetings and in project work
  • Stakeholder management
  • Project management (sticking to deadlines, etc.)

Milestone presentations (20%)

  • GTI 1: Fall & winter presentation
  • GTI 2: Final presentation

Tangible outcomes (20%)

  • One-Pagers for corporate partners
  • Intermediate prototypes

Milestone documentations (40%)

  • GTI 1: Fall & winter documentation
  • GTI 2: Final documentation and videos

All dates

  1. 08.10.2025

    Global Team-Based Innovation (GTI)

    Hybrid

    Duration

    9 months (2 Semester)

    Place

    Potsdam, on-site and remote

    Languages

    English
    Apply via e-mail

Contact

Do you have any questions? We will be happy to help you.

Phone
+49 (0)331 5509-507
Mail
info-d-school@hpi.de
Contact form

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Contact