Engineering Grand Challenges Demand for Trans-Disciplinary Design Science

The 21 century society has to face global problems of unprecedented scope and scale that challenge traditional human approaches and solutions. The overexploitation of natural resources demands profound changes of mentality in the development of future artefacts, but the current economic paradigm still pushes towards innovations expected to be successful in a short-term perspective, whatever their impact is for future generations. Large parts of the scientific community are indeed struggling for a radical shift of goals and attitudes, as for instance the proposal of Engineering Grand Challenges raised by the National Academy of Engineering (Vest, 2008). In this context, overcoming the traditional borders of scientific disciplines appears as an essential step: “Convergence of the life sciences with fields including physical, chemical, mathematical, computational, engineering, and social sciences is a key strategy to tackle complex challenges and achieve new and innovative solutions” (Committee on Key Challenge Areas for Convergence and Health et al., 2014). Nevertheless, there is an evident lack of educational reference practices suitable to enhance the development of trans-disciplinary skills and competences. As remarked also in the editorials of the last issues, this journal aims at contributing to the scientific debate in this context by favouring the presentation of respectable opinions of scholars through position papers, and by publishing research findings that allow to develop knowledge advancements on transdisciplinary design principles, processes and techniques. This issue offers both types of contribution: the first position paper by Raymond Yeh proposes stimulating reflections about ethical aspects of technological innovation and on the profile of competences and sensibility innovators should have. “College graduates must have both cents and sensibility”, where “cents” represent the required skills and competences of today’s, but also of future’s jobs; while “sensibility” provides the capability to “find the proper balance to navigate between today’s necessities and long term aspirations in life”. The new generations of Trans-disciplinarians should go beyond the current technocratic dogma, with a holistic view on potential consequences of today’s decisions also on a long-term perspective, yet fulfilling the real needs and expectations of human being (D'Anna & Cascini, 2016). In this perspective, 21 century universities have to create meaning makers and not “only” solution makers. We hope that those insights will foster the discussion in next issues of this journal. The second position paper by Oscar Garcia highlights the change of mindset and background necessary to exploit the potential of quantum information and computing. As discussed in the paper, the roadmap from basic research to engineering applications of quantum theory presents many critical problems to