Agile innovation methods for product development in life sciences

An agile and rapid approach was crucial in ensuring that the COVID-19 pandemic was declared over in 2023. However, many companies in the life sciences sector lack the knowledge and the right tools for agile innovation management. This paper analyzes which agile innovation methods are used in the life sciences sector during product development. The methods Scrum, Design Thinking, Lean Start up and Business Model Canvas are examined. A standardized questionnaire was sent to research-based life sciences companies and evaluated using descriptive statistics. Around half of the companies surveyed use agile methods in their product development. The findings from the survey were transformed into recommendations for the individual product development phases. The agile innovation methods examined are used in the life sciences sector. Adapted to the company, they can lead to shorter development times, higher customer satisfaction and more successful market launches for innovations.