December 3rd 2008: Innovating Across Borders
On December 3rd the Van Nelle Factory in Rotterdam was transformed into an innovation laboratory. Toghether with TNO and Slum World, NCDO’s business programme, Business in Development organised 6 different sessions on innovating in developing countries.
Adjiedj Bakas kicked off the day by pointing out 5 trends for the future. He was followed by Avina International and Christian Seelos. Both of them stressed the importance of social entrepreneurs and strategic alliances for capturing developing market with innovations.
In the workshops about Food, Energy, Urban Development and ICT, 14 different innovations for developing countries were ‘pitched’. A selection of the pitches:
- Fortified Rice by DSR
- Food Factory by Inivention
- Moonlight by TU Delft Students
- Mobile Factory by WEPP
- Hybrid TukTuk by Enviu
- Microscopy by cellphones by TNO
For all of these innovations, the process of innovation to market launch and subsequent scaling, is a challenge. Together with the public the discussion focussed on these challenges, but also on the potential of the innovations.
