The project explores the relationship between learning from failures and innovation—whether incremental or disruptive—in the development of medical devices. Understanding how firms assimilate failures can provide tools to manage complexity, uncertainty, and the rigorous quality and safety standards required in this sector. A systematic analysis of the role of failures in the innovation process not only fosters corporate competitiveness but can also translate into public health benefits, improving clinical outcomes, the efficiency of healthcare services, and the sustainability of healthcare systems at both national and regional levels.
The project is funded under the Italian PRIN PNRR (Projects of Relevant National Interest – National Recovery and Resilience Plan) programme. It is led by Arianna Martinelli, from Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, who serves as Principal Investigator.
The research consortium is composed of three university units:
By combining expertise from innovation studies, management, the project adopts a multidisciplinary approach to investigate how firms in the medical device sector learn from failures and how this learning shapes both incremental and disruptive innovation trajectories.