Big data analytics enables organizations to process massive amounts of data in shorter amounts of time and with more understanding than ever before. Many uses have been found to take advantage of this tools and techniques, especially for decision making. However, little applications have been found in the first stages of innovation, namely problem definition and idea generation. This paper discusses how big data analytics can be utilized in those stages. It includes an example of application in problem definition and proposes a case study implementation in a higher education setting for idea generation.