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First-year project 2026/27: Working together from idea to product
How does an initial product idea develop into a viable business model? How can customer preferences, economic requirements and sustainability considerations be reconciled? And what does it take to actually manufacture a product?
Students at Clausthal University of Technology tackle these questions right at the start of their studies as part of the first-semester project. This interdisciplinary teaching format combines economic and technical issues with practical project work, enabling students to apply their theoretical knowledge directly.
On Monday, 26 October 2026, at 1.00 pm, the first-semester project for the 2026/27 winter semester will begin with a kick-off event in Seminar Room 1 at IMEL. There, participating students will receive all the key information regarding the project schedule and collaborative project work.
Planning, developing and implementing together
The first-semester project centres on the development and manufacture of a simple consumer good. Working in interdisciplinary teams, students go through various phases of product development – from initial planning, through the analysis of potential customer needs and the development of a sustainable business model, to costing, production planning and manufacturing.
The programme does not merely focus on imparting technical skills; teamwork, independent working and project-oriented thinking are also central to the experience.
“For me, the first-semester project is far more than just a course. It offers our students the opportunity to create something together right from the start, to contribute their own ideas and to collaborate across the boundaries of their degree programmes. This is precisely the kind of start to their studies that we want to enable.”
Svenja Schachten, Managing Director of the Institute for Management, Economics and Law (IMEL)
The first-semester project on film
To provide a vivid insight into the teaching format, several short films have been produced. In these, the lecturers involved present the content and objectives of the individual modules and demonstrate the skills students acquire over the course of the project.
The films illustrate just how varied the tasks are and how the individual modules interlink – from the development of an idea right through to the finished product.
Curious to find out more? Discover our short films on the first-semester project here:
First-Semester projekt - Insights into the modules
Questions about the first-semester project?
If you have any questions about the process or taking part in the first-semester project, the organising team will be happy to help:
Email: erstsemesterprojekt@tu-clausthal.de