The Center for Technology-driven Social Innovation (CTSi) presents the new Tech Design Sprint Handbook, a compact and practical publication for anyone who wants to plan and execute a Tech Design Sprint professionally.
At its core, technology-driven social innovation is about impact – the tangible social impact that arises when technological development is specifically linked to social challenges.
For the first time, the handbook summarizes several years of experience and offers clear guidance in German on designing interdisciplinary innovation processes at the interface between technology and society. In doing so, it also highlights the role of TU Wien in the transfer of knowledge and technology to industry and society, and its commitment to playing an active part in the development of socially relevant innovations.
What the publication includes
- An introduction to the Tech Design Sprint format, including its objectives, key features, and unique characteristics such as its socio-technical focus, transdisciplinary collaboration, and real-world challenge orientation (Chapter 1).
- Concrete organizational guidelines covering scheduling, resource management, partner engagement, and the distribution of roles and responsibilities (Chapter 2).
- Detailed process plans for implementation, including the preparation phase, public outreach, application procedures, and the structured three-day sprint format (Chapter 3).
- Success factors and common pitfalls based on recurring insights from previous sprint experiences (Chapter 4).
- Templates and supplementary materials in the appendix, including question guides for challenge providers and a student application form (Chapter 6).
The handbook is aimed at anyone designing innovation formats with social relevance, and those who want to equip students and other interested participants with a structured methodology for creative problem-solving. As a format developed by the CTSi, the Tech Design Sprint brings together technological challenges and societal issues while fostering exchange between academia, industry, and civil society.
With this handbook, the CTSi contributes to TU Wien’s strategic goals of strengthening the culture of creativity and innovation and promoting the exchange of knowledge, methods, and technologies. At the same time, the format supports the close integration of research, teaching, and practical application, creating opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and socially relevant innovation – entirely in line with TU Wien’s strategic commitment to its societal mission.
Download
The Tech Design Sprint Handbook is available as a public download under an open-access license, allowing interested individuals, institutions, educators, and partner organizations to access digital copies, available in German. This is in line with TU Wien’s commitment to making scientific findings and methods as widely accessible as possible.
If you are interested, simply contact the CTSi directly.