How to Support Startups in Responsible Innovation Processes: A Tool Analysis

Abstract

Innovation plays a vital role in economic growth and addressing societal challenges such as climate change, poverty, and ageing populations. However, the impacts of innovation are not always predictable, and negative outcomes can emerge unexpectedly. Anticipating the long-term effects of innovation is becoming increasingly important as technology and innovation continue to advance at a rapid pace. Responsible Innovation (RI) is an approach that aims to govern research and innovation by involving stakeholders early on to improve anticipation of consequences and make innovation ethically acceptable, environmentally sustainable, and socially desirable. Small enterprises, particularly start-ups, face significant challenges in implementing sustainability and responsibility in their innovation processes due to limited resources. This study aims to explore existing tools for operationalizing RI in a business context and assess their applicability to start-ups. The findings reveal that while there are numerous ongoing projects and tools for RI in a business context, there is a lack of tools specifically designed for start-ups. By identifying key concepts and characteristics of tools for RI implementation in start-ups, the paper contributes to the field of RI by laying the groundwork for the development of an RI tool tailored to the needs of start-ups. The study provides recommendations for improving existing RI tools, including the development of modular and user-adaptive tools. This research expands the knowledge base on RI, offers a theoretical foundation for further research, and paves the way for the development of the COMPASS self-check tool for RI implementation in start-ups.