Educating Future Engineers in Material Handling Systems Design - An Integrated and Interdisciplinary Approach

At the Institute of Logistics Engineering at Graz University of Technology, the design, analysis, and optimization of material handling systems have traditionally been taught in separate courses distributed across multiple semesters throughout the curriculum. The courses can be divided into two categories: Logistics and Mechanical Engineering. Both cover fundamental principles as well as advanced topics. A problem is that the isolated structure limits interdisciplinary learning and systemic understanding of logistics and engineering challenges. To meet the growing need for engineers with holistic, sustainable, and interdisciplinary systems thinking, a new integrated teaching concept has been developed. This paper presents its design and planned implementation. The approach is inspired by learning factories and aligned with Industry 5.0 principles, which emphasize human-centricity, resilience, and sustainability. The learning factory represents a parcel hub as a virtual model. It serves as a central didactic tool across multiple courses, enabling students from various disciplines to analyse, design, and optimize processes and system components. The implementation will begin with a pilot phase, in which selected courses are integrated into a cohesive framework. Subsequent iterations will further refine the concept based on continuous evaluation and feedback. This approach equips students with both theoretical and practical skills, fostering an integrated, systems-based perspective essential for sustainable and efficient design of material handling systems. By embedding real-world applications into the curriculum, this concept ensures that future logistics engineers are prepared to develop technical solutions that align with social and environmental responsibilities, reflected the human-centered vision of Industry 5.0.