Why focus on SMEs?

As highlighted by Gao (2019) 'SMEs account for 90% of all enterprises (Udayasankar, 2007), and in the European Union, they account for 99.8% in the non-financial sector, contributing over 50% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and providing 67% of employment (Muller, 2015)' Therefore, the innovation potential behind design application in a business context could lead one to wonder, what would happen if the use of design thinking was expanded beyond creative hubs, targeting the European SMEs? How accessible would design thinking to be for organizational use beyond the creative industry?

With the majority of future advances in that socio-economic region being based on the growth potential of European SMEs, the adoption of design-driven processes as tools for innovation is not only critical for the micro-management of individual businesses but also it is 'crucial to future prosperity.' (2019, Gao)

Small and medium companies 'possess implicit knowledge potential, which is essential for service innovation,' (2019, Gao) While large enterprises are leading the charge in deploying innovative process techniques like design thinking when provided access to these design frameworks, SMEs may have a more diverse and greater positive impact on the socio-economic environment. Considering design thinking approaches have already been identified as an enabler of innovation in the European market (Lawlor et al. 2015), the analysis of accessibility and systematisation is recognized as not only appropriate but also essential for SME development.