February 23, 2009
In the March 2009 issue of Fast Company, Michael Fitzgerald writes about a new form of innovation. Call it “trickle-up innovation,” where ideas take shape in developing markets and then make their way back to the west. An example is Nokia’s recognition that poor Kenyans use their cell phones for banking and paying for things. So Nokia has developed Mosoko (mo for “mobile,” soko from Swahili for “market”). Mosoko allows its users to execute payments from their cellphone. Coming to the US? Perhaps, depending on whether Mosoko can break through the West’s cluttered retailed market. But more important is the recognition of developing markets as fertile grounds for innovation. Read the full article here.
A McKinsey study also lists four factors that aid the emergence of trickle-up trends:
>> Developing markets have low-cost, high-quality workers who can both create and execute great ideas.
>>> These markets have hard-to-reach consumers who force companies to come up with new ways to serve them.
>> Emerging-market consumers don’t want Western retreads but their own unique products and services, some of which may also appeal to Westerners.
>> There are suppliers in developing markets who are rapidly accessing developed markets.
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Posted by cindy333
February 23, 2009
As someone who is keenly interested in environmental issues, I’ve often found it challenging to consider sustainability’s role within the larger development context. Global health, water resource management, information technology, and energy diversification are obvious choices when looking at proven methods for addressing poverty. But when we introduce the environment into the equation, the game seems to change. People versus the planet. One versus the other.
In reality, it isn’t a zero sum game and sustainability should be incorporated in international development. Just look at the UN Millenium Development Goals -the environment also has its place at the table, and it’s not at the consequence of human issues.
It reminds me of a conversation I had when I was volunteering at Oxfam America. There, one of the staff members described Oxfam’s approach to climate change. For Oxfam, climate change wasn’t really about the environment. It was about the people that were most affected by climate change, like subsistence farmers in Africa, who relied on the rain to fuel their crops. Global warming and the lack of rains made it impossible for these farmers to harvest a bountiful crop. These types of environmental problems, namely the aftereffects, were the main concern of Oxfam.
In a similar vein, I recently came across a report from the UN Environment Programme about SCP. SCP, or sustainable patterns of consumption and production, are indicators that measure progress for what our society should look like. As countries begin to lift themselves out of poverty, we need to question our own levels of consumerism, as well as what is sustainable for these other nations. Read the full UNEP SCP report here.
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Posted by cindy333
February 17, 2009
Global Initiatives recently cosponsored a lecture with BERC featuring Peggy Liu, the Chairperson of JUCCCE (Joint US-China Cooperation on Clean Energy). JUCCCE is a non-profit accelerating the greening of China through international collaboration on impactful programs. Peggy discussed the possibility of China going big and going green, how international collaboration can be more effective in climate change talks and how JUCCCE has played a critical role in the greening of China as it becomes more developed. There was incredible interest from students, faculty and professionals, resulting in an extremely diverse crowd and interesting discussion.
For more information, a detailed account of the event was written up by first year MBA student, Lauren Stark, and can be found here.
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Posted by emjsmith
February 17, 2009
If you haven’t checked out Slumdog Millionaire yet, I highly urge you to get to the theater and watch it on the big screen. Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of Jamal Malik, an 18-year old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is one question away from winning 20 million rupees on the Indian equivalent of “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?” Jamal’s unlikely journey is re-told in powerful flashbacks, each of which provides a glimpse into a life completely foreign to many of us. The movie is nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture. I highly recommend the movie (although could have done without the dancing scene at the end).
As well, there are a couple of cool film festivals coming up in the Bay Area in the next few months. Keep your eyes peeled, if you’re interested in checking out any of the events.
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Posted by cindy333
February 8, 2009
We talked about design for social impact last fall. If you want to learn more about how the design approach can be applied to problems in the developing world, check out this blog. It follows Jeff Chapin, a designer (or engineer?) who is taking a sabbatical from IDEO to work on a low-cost latrine with International Development Enterprises (IDE). Jeff is blogging daily about his experiences working in Cambodia. A great read if you’re interested in design for the other 90%.
As well, I’m taking a fantastic class this spring in the civil engineering department called Design for Sustainable Communities. Taught by Ashok Gadgil, the class takes a hands-on approach to designing innovative products to address critical needs in both developed and developing countries. I’m working on a cross-disciplinary team (2 mechanical engineers, 1 environmental engineer, 1 business school student – me!) to re-envision the solar box cooker for the Indian market. Solar box cookers have been around for many years. The technology is simple – sun hits box, box cooks food inside. But in the last 30 years, there has been almost zero innovation to the design or materials — advances have generally focused on increasing energy efficiency, rather than usability. So there’s a huge potential to create a better, more relevant solution to spur mass adoption.
Other projects that my fellow students are working on include:
- Solar water heater for Guatemala (technology = solar panels on urban roofs for heating water)
- Arsenic remediation in Bangladesh (arsenic is colorless and odorless, but can be removed using a Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LNBL) technology)
- Bioclimatic design for “kit” houses in South Pacific
Very inspiring stuff indeed!
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Posted by cindy333
February 2, 2009
Fast Company reports that on February 3rd, the Indian government will unveil a $10 educational laptop with 2GB of RAM, Wi-Fi and expandable hardware, that operates on only two watts of power. Mass production costs are $20, but expect this to be halved as large-scale production starts up.
The laptop is an answer to MIT’s Nicholas Negroponte’s $100 One Laptop Per Child. Can’t wait to see what it looks like in a few days!
Click here for the Fast Company article.
**Update: It turns out that the $10 laptop is not a full-functioning laptop, but a “computing” device with storage. Read the comments below for more information. **
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Posted by cindy333
February 2, 2009
Google is starting to enter the world of ICTD (Information and Communication Technologies and Development) by funding initiatives to bring internet to small, rural villages in Africa. One such project, implemented by three engineers from University of Michigan, involves installing satellite dishes powered by solar panels to hookup computers in the local community to the rest of the world.
The head of Google’s East Africa office, Joseph Mucheru, notes that “building infrastructure is not necessarily Google’s objective, but if you look at all the areas that Google has gone into, in many cases it has been to fill a gap… The market should see the opportunity.”
Google’s entry into ICTD seems to be an especially appropriate fit for a corporate social responsibility strategy. Google can help rural villages get “online,” and also ensure their place in a new market.
It will be interesting to see if internet adoption in Africa and other developing country follows the same trajectory as mobile phone adoption – e.g. leapfrog over “standard” infrastructure like electricity grids by using solar-powered mobile phone towers.
Click here for the full New York Times article.
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Posted by cindy333
