Implementing Design Thinking in Early‐Stage Start‐Up Innovation Processes: The Case of MedTech/HealthTech Sector

ABSTRACT

Although the value of design thinking (DT) in the innovation processes of large organisations is widely examined within the literature, its role and value for early‐stage start‐up innovation processes remains less well understood. This study investigates how start‐up founders implement DT practices in the early‐stage start‐up innovation processes in UK‐based MedTech/HealthTech start‐ups using 38 semi‐structured interviews with start‐up founders, DT experts and investors. The key findings shed light on the limited use of DT within the time‐pressured context of start‐up ecosystems and call for unique adaptations that can better support start‐up firms to benefit from DT. Furthermore, the study highlights the challenges in implementing DT in highly regulated contexts, like the MedTech/HealthTech sector, where stringent regulations limit user engagement of innovators during experimentation. The study contributes to the theoretical DT literature by extending insights on the barriers to the effective implementation of DT in different organisational and sectoral contexts. Additionally, it provides practitioner insights directed to entrepreneurship educators such as start‐up accelerators and incubators for better deployment of DT education for entrepreneurs.