Global transformation processes and sustainability issues will continue to yield a rapid increase in problems at the boundary between technical and non-technical disciplines in higher education. Furthermore, new fields of work emerge due to the digital transformation. Graduates need to be prepared to identify and describe problems and to develop appropriate solutions in teams in order to contribute to change processes related to the future in a smart world. Engineering sciences have to take up the challenge to provide suitable educational programs for a broader target group, i.e. non-technical students, especially in light of the current shortage of qualified specialists. This paper contributes twofold to that discourse; (1) by a novel theory-based teaching and learning concept for an engineering course for bachelor students of non-engineering disciplines (e.g. sustainability sciences) and associated empirical findings of implementation, and (2) by innovative project-based laboratory experiments that encourage interdisciplinary approaches. As a specific contribution to the innovative practice of engineering education, part (1) outlines the student-centered lecture scheme “Electrical and Automation Engineering” (four semester hours per week). The framework-based development, the objectives and the didactic design of the bachelor course as well as the engineering key topics in the context of smart technologies and sustainability are presented. Part (2) details novel practices in the area of engineering education by presenting two specially designed lab experimentation platforms. Starting from the theory framework, the paper contributes to a theoretical understanding and educational practice of engineering courses designed for a specific group of students at the crossroads of engineering and other disciplines.