Engineering Education and the role of Digital and Sustainable Competences in Operations Management: A Focus Group Discussion

Amid growing digitalization, technological progress, and sustainability demands, this research examines which digital and sustainable competences future engineers need to thrive in smart and sustainable operations management. It tackles a key challenge in engineering education: aligning curricula with industry-specific competence requirements in three areas: Logistics and Supply Management, Product Development and Manufacturing, and Entrepreneurship and Industrial Marketing Management. These areas are crucial for addressing challenges along the mobility value chain, especially regarding digitalization and sustainability. Literature highlights a growing skills gap and stresses the importance of competence-based education but lacks specificity on future-oriented smart and sustainable topics. To address this, a qualitative focus group with 15 academic and industry professionals was applied. Participants identified key competences and future topics through moderated discussions. Results emphasize data competences, AI literacy, life cycle thinking, and sustainable business model innovation. The study concludes that Engineering Education 5.0 must urgently integrate these competences, particularly AI, and circular economy principles, into curricula to meet the evolving demands of Industry 4.0 and 5.0. This research provides a foundation for future curriculum development and targeted competence profiles.