Future Innovators Challenge 2025 (FInnC'25) | Workshop 01 | Journey of Product Design & Development
April 18, 2025 · 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM @ Online event
Description
The IEEE Student Branch of the University of Moratuwa and the I EEE Industrial Electronics Society (IES) Student Branch Chapter has successfully held the first workshop of the Future Innovators Challenge 2025 via Zoom, drawing the participation of over 100 undergraduates. This session focused on Product Design and Development , providing deep insights into the real-world product design lifecycle, practical engineering practices, and industry expectations. The session was formally opened with a welcome speech by Mr.Nivishka Manchanayake, Vice Chairman of the IEEE Student Branch, University of Moratuwa . The spotlight of the evening was the guest speaker session by Mr. Ranjan Kulatunga, Senior Tech Lead at Zone24x7 , who brought over 14 years of industry experience in embedded systems, mechanical design, and product innovation. His session walked participants through the entire product design life cycle, from conceptualization to mass manufacturing. Mr. Kulatunga emphasized: The importance of starting with real-world pain points through field research and client discovery. Understanding the design cycle, including phases like Proof of Concept (POC), EVT (Engineering Validation Test), DVT (Design Validation Test), PVT (Production Validation Test), and MVP (Minimum Viable Product). The use of agile and waterfall methodologies, state machines, hardware block diagrams, and power budgeting. Best practices in PCB design, firmware integration, component selection, and stress/EMI testing. The significance of protecting intellectual property through patents and pitch decks that communicate the problem, solution, and unique value. He also encouraged students to consider startup culture, local incubation programs, and competitions like NBQSA and SLASSCOM to take their innovations forward. A lively Q&A session followed, where students asked about: Evaluating whether an idea is worth pursuing Testing strategies for early-stage solutions Access to professional tools like Altium and SolidWorks Differentiating a product in a competitive market Mr. Kulatunga answered with pragmatic advice and stressed the importance of practical thinking and customer validation. The session concluded with a competitive Kahoot quiz , and the top three winners received a Raspberry Pi Pico as a token of appreciation. Participants were reminded of the proposal submission deadline on April 21st and were encouraged to bring their best ideas forward. The session ended with a group photo, wrapping up an evening filled with learning, inspiration, and motivation.
Agenda
Agenda: Workshop 01 – Future Innovators Challenge 2025 Date: April 18th, 2025 Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM (via Zoom) Time Agenda Item Speaker 7:00 – 7:15 PM Welcome Address Mr. Nivishka Manchanayake (Vice Chairman, Student Branch) 7:15 – 8:15 PM Keynote Session: " Product Design and Development " Mr. Ranjan Kulatunga 8:15 – 8:35 PM QnA Time Mr. Nimeth Wickramarachchi & Mr. Kavin Gunasekara (Event Co-chairs) 8:35 – 8:50 PM Kahoot Quiz Session Host 8:50 – 9:00 PM Group Photo & Closing Remarks Session Host