Bridging the gap : How to make VR more accessible for SMEs in the engineering design industry? : A strategic roadmap for VR adoption in SMEs

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are compelled to enhance their product development processes to remain competitive, through the adoption of emerging technologies like virtual reality (VR) for example. This technology has shown to improve collaboration, design understanding, and decision-making. So far, large enterprises have more widely adopted VR, while SMEs still struggle to do so. This thesis therefore explores how VR can be made more accessible to SMEs in the engineering design industry. Using a research-through-design (RtD) approach, a case study was conducted at an SME to explore the development and adoption of an iteratively designed VR solution. This process revealed key barriers and enablers associated with VR adoption in SMEs. Findings led to the development of an extended TOE framework, introducing a Strategy dimension that focuses on factors that contribute to lowering the barriers of SME-specific constraints. The extended framework serves as the foundation of the VR adoption roadmap, which provides a structured approach towards the steps an SME can take to adopt a suitable VR solution. This research provides a systematic and low-risk approach to VR adoption for SMEs. The findings help bridge the gap between VR potential and accessibility, ensuring that SMEs can effectively leverage VR technology.