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New Product Development

Home / Oferta Formativa / Coimbra Agricultural School / Master / Master in Food Engineering

Teaching Methodologies

Teaching is based on active and project-based learning methodologies, integrating theory and practice. The theoretical-practical classes, include interactive lectures, case studies, and discussions on market trends and consumer behavior. Practical activities are carried out in teams, including the design of new products, application of creativity methods, concept development, and oral project presentations. Continuous supervision and structured feedback foster critical reflection, autonomy, and knowledge integration. This approach ensures the connection of theory and practice, promoting the achievement of technical, transversal, and communication competencies essential for professional development in the food sector.

Learning Results

By the end of the course, the student should be able to:

1. Organize RDI activities within the context of food companies.

2. Identify and interpret market trends and consumer behavior to substantiate innovation opportunities.

3. Apply creativity methods and idea-generation and selection techniques to the development of new food products.

4. Develop product concepts, including persona definition, customer journey mapping, and value proposition design.

5. Understand and structure the stages of the NPD process and justify decision-making throughout.

6. Assess food product shelf-life and integrate this knowledge into development, positioning, packaging, and launch strategies.

7. Work collaboratively, communicate results, and defend decisions based on scientific rigor and critical analysis.

Teaching is based on active learning methodologies and project-based learning, promoting the integration of theory and practice and the development of transversal competencies aligned with the course objectives.

Program

  1. Organization of Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) in food companies: essential topics.

  2. Market trends and consumer behavior as a foundation for new product development.

  3. Creativity methods and idea-generation techniques applied to find opportunities for food innovation.

  4. New Product Development (NPD) process: an overall view of the stages; in-depth exploration of the phases of opportunity identification, idea generation and selection, and concept development (personas, customer journey, and value proposition).

  5. Shelf-life prediction of food products and its relevance for the development, positioning, and launch of new products.

Curricular Unit Teachers

Marta Helena Fernandes Henriques

Internship(s)

NAO

Bibliography

Fernandes, A. A. (2017). Desenvolvimento de Novos Produtos e Serviços: Modelos e Estratégias para Inovar. LIDEL.

Fuller, G. W. (2016). New Food Product Development: From Concept to Marketplace (3rd ed.). CRC Press.

Kilcast, D. (Ed.). (2011). Food and beverage stability and shelf life. Woodhead Publishing.

Moskowitz, H. R., Saguy, I. S., & Straus, T. (2009). An Integrated Approach to New Food Product Development. CRC Press.

Toschka, H. Y. (2025). New Food Product Development: Global Strategies and Practices for Successful Innovation (4th ed.). CRC Press.

Artigos científicos recentes sobre inovação e desenvolvimento de novos produtos alimentares em revistas de referência (por exemplo, Trends in Food Science & Technology, Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies).