The Base of the Pyramid (BOP) consists of two to four billion people that can spend about $ 1- 15 per day. BOP strategies are about the development of high quality products and services for customers with low purchasing power in developing countries or emerging markets. Well known examples are micro-credit facilities (ABN AMRO in Brazil and India), affordable water technology (Procter &Gamble in a wide range of African countries), access to health care systems (Philips in India) and micro-nutrients (Unilever in India and African countries). The sales margins are significantly lower than usual. However, the volume of the so-called BOP markets is huge. As you can imagine, the BOP markets put innovation and new business development in a new perspective

We invited Professor Stuart Hart, one of the international thought leaders on innovation from the base of the pyramid, for this seminar. Together with C.K. Prahalad, Hart wrote the path breaking 2002 article "The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid", which provided the first articulation of how business could profitably serve the need of the four billion people in the developing world.

CEO Breakfast:
At eight in the morning more than 20 CEO's and Board members had breakfast with Stuart L. Hart. The main objective for this CEO Breakfast was to exchange views on this new concept with Stuart Hart.
Minister van Ardenne-van der Hoeven gave a closing statement. She concluded her speech by inviting the CEO's for dinner. --> You can read the speech here

Young Professionals Workshop:
45 young professionals of ABN AMRO, DSM and Heineken were challenged to make a business case on Base of the Pyramid. The high potentials were young executives with a marketing/business development background and international/ emerging market focus.
At the young professionals workshop princess Maxima attended.

High Level Seminar:
In the afternoon Stuart Hart gave an interesting presentation and was challenged by the panel and audience on Base of the Pyramid Strategies. Approximately 100 participants attended this session in which the opportunities of BOP and the challenges for Western organizations were lively discussed.

--> Download the presentation of Stuart Hart

--> Photo's

--> Speech by Agnes van Ardenne Minister for Development Cooperation

--> Article in Het Financieele Dagblad (Dutch), April 4

--> Article in Het Financieele Dagblad (Dutch), April 22

--> Article in P-Plus Magazine

--> View all BOP items in this website