Design Thinking for Public R&D: Focus on R&D Performance at Public Research Institutes

Abstract

Korean public research institutes (PRIs) have shown noteworthy technological innovation over the past years, but they have been lagging in the commercialization of technological results. To ensure sustainable technology commercialization, not only technological innovation but also a shift towards a market-oriented approach is required. As such, it has become even more important for the public sector to have a demand-oriented approach for responding to market failures or demand issues in the private sector. Yet the public sector has been geared to a supply-oriented approach, while adopting a demand-oriented perspective, in its inception. In an ever-increasingly complex society, the process of Design Thinking is necessary in the both the public and private sectors. However, Design Thinking-related studies have concentrated on the latter. Studying the impacts of Design Thinking as a demand-based innovation methodology of public institutions, this research aims to expand the traditional scope of the study of Design Thinking to include PRIs—owing to relevant key research experts, PRIs will prompt changes in the overall public sector going forward. With the Design Thinking process requiring empathy, integrative thinking, and experimentalism, this study examines the impacts of Design Thinking on PRIs. This research also aims to demonstrate that Design Thinking boosts innovation, specifically through PRIs, promoting higher discourse on Design Thinking. Concluding that Design Thinking improves technology performance in public research institutes, the study evaluates that Design Thinking leads to research innovation in a demand-driven R&D environment, producing innovations in the overall public sector.