I have written about the UIC Innovation Center (sponsored by Motorola) and the multi-discipline (MBA-Design-Engineering) class on product innovation offered by the center before.
“Housed in a former grocery store on the UIC campus, the center has flexible space, industrial size bean bag chairs, rapid prototyping machines and the feel of a start-up (except for expresso machines or ping pong tables).
The origin of the center was a year long innovation class that combines MBA students, design students and engineering students. The class is sponsored by a company that seeks innovation ideas.”
Dell is funding the class this year. BusinessWeek has an interesting article about their motives in doing so:
ProfessorGary on Innovation and Marketing 