In a time of increasing market pressure, managers value innovations as a precious currency. While shifting the focus away from incremental innovations at the level of molecules, companies in the chemical industry should consider a more systematic approach to the development of ideas during the innovation processes. However, solely aligning all research activities with the upcoming megatrends for the industry is not sufficient. This article empirically demonstrates the strategic relevance of Design Thinking as a method to not only overcome typical barriers in the innovation process but also to guide stakeholders through all iterative stages required for innovation
