Seminario di Peter Knorriga

ore 12.30 Sala Seminari – I° piano, Palazzo Levi Cases, Via del Santo 33

20.04.2017

Seminario di Peter Knorringa, International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam - Centre for Frugal Innovation in Africa Leiden University.

Frugal Innovation and Sustainable Development

The presentation will start with raising the question of whether the present technological revolution offers new opportunities to address fundamental societal and environmental challenges. I will argue that while most inventions have taken place – ‘robots already exist’, ‘Uber is the largest taxi company without owning a car’– we have so far only seen the beginnings of how these new technological opportunities will impact upon our lives. Policy makers and company executives have choices in how to incentivize companies and other stakeholders to prioritize more sustainable and inclusive pathways. One important empirical process in which to investigate these issues is the Fight for the New Middle in Africa. The new middle refers to the booming market segment of new middle class consumers in Africa, many of whom are first generation non-poor. I will argue that success on this ‘battle ground’ may well require a move towards co-creation with local businesses, NGOs and possibly governments. Such polycentric and frugal innovation processes are needed to effectively combine addressing broader sustainability challenges and local social-economic development needs.

The final part of the presentation will outline a frugal innovation research agenda in which we aim to identify opportunities for sustainable and locally embedded development through co-creation processes that make clever use of some of the new technological opportunities.