Innovation journey : design thinking in the value chain

Amidst the turmoil of global markets in recent years new strategies are sought for/toward engaging stakeholders in new creative ways toward generating sustainable value. Both value chain analysis and design thinking methods have drawn considerable attention in recent years as economies seek to revitalise or reconfigure existing innovation systems in the pursuit of sustainable value. The import/consideration of design thinking into value chain processes may further stimulate innovation at intermediate value chain levels, and the value chain as a whole further consolidating the focus on end consumer needs. This consumer centric characteristic is strongly embedded and common to value chain analysis and design thinking approaches and worthy of inquiry as a melding of two constructs. The following paper is exploratory.