Paper Walls, Reversed: MDR, Micro-Innovation, and the Future of Care in Tuttlingen

In our earlier fieldwork reflection from Samsun, “paper walls” emerged as regulatory infrastructures that restrict market access and recognition for manufacturers in the Global Majority. In Tuttlingen, the metaphor returns in a reversed configuration. Here, the Medical Device Regulation (MDR) is frequently described not only as a compliance challenge, but as an internal barrier that reshapes innovation dynamics, product portfolios, and the viability of low-volume care-related devices. Based ...