Change makers are visionaries who wish to bring change to their respective fields. As technological change is accelerating, it is relevant to consider, how the way and what we teach can evolve with the future to remain meaningful and pioneering. Design Factory at Aalto University, as an innovative experimental ecosystem with interdisciplinary principles and new teaching methodologies has been successful in and at the forefront in educating the students to be change-makers. The paper presents a case study of holistically anticipating plausible futures for innovative experimental ecosystems utilizing a foresight approach. We analyze how the ways of working, spaces, and teaching methods of one such ecosystem, Design Factory at Aalto University in Finland, could support students learning in the year 20 × 6 {x = 2, 3}. We present the process of drawing virtual lines that connect trends, future drivers, visions, and scenarios using a contemporary approach that fuses qualitative and quantitative methods. The results from the study are six future scenarios for the Design Factory, that have implications for innovation ecosystems in general. These results are expected to further foster or trigger new research and development experiments, directions for building radical environments, new teaching methods and ways of working.

Collaboration through innovation is central to the discussion of how today's universities can respond to new interdisciplinary challenges, competitive environments and stakeholder complexity. Innovation hubs represent a dynamic example of how the public sector, including higher education, is responding to the need for new methods and perspectives that foster desired intra‐institutional change. This study examines one of these types of platforms, the Design Factory Global Network originating at Aalto University, in order to shed light on key enablers and barriers to furthering collaborative efforts within higher education. Based on 25 in‐depth interviews with 17 Design Factories, including perspectives from students, staff and educators, the findings show that institutional policy fostering flexibility, securing a physical cross‐disciplinary and multi‐purpose collaborative space, upper level support and building community are all vital in ensuring design‐driven experimentation that contributes to the effectiveness of higher education.

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Understanding of how successful PD is based on both traditional and modern methods and tools. Competence with a set of tools and methods for product design and development. Awareness of the quality of his or her own design, engineering, or marketing skills. Confidence in your own abilities to create a new product. Understanding of PD costs and economy Awareness of the role of multiple functions in creating a new product (e.g. marketing, finance, industrial design, engineering, production). Ability to work out project plan and schedules, manage resources, manage risks, complete a project successfully, and communicate and document effectively. Ability to coordinate multiple, interdisciplinary tasks in order to achieve a common objective. Reinforcement of specific knowledge from other courses through practice and reflection in an action-oriented setting. Understanding of the potential and the challenges of interdisciplinary teamwork. Enhanced team working skills. Ability to deliver high quality oral and written reports. Ability to negotiate and to deal with agreements, NDA's, and IPR's.