NextBillion.net published a blog post by the BoP Innovation Center, exploring how MNCs and social entrepreneurs can leverage their strengths to reach the BoP. While MNCs often lack the flexibility to truly innovate, social entrepreneurs find it difficult to have their innovations reach scale. Who has more potential to implement inclusive innovations?

Rutger Bults, matchmaker at the BoP Innovation Center, wrote the piece based on the outcomes of the 2012 event on implementing inclusive innovations. Dr. Al Hammond from Ashoka was keynote speaker at the event, and provided a brief commentary on the blog.

Management Team (MT) magazine published an article on their website about the increased cooperation between companies and NGOs. The article features interviews with Robert van den Heuvel from DSM, Harm Duiker from SNV Kenya, and BoPInc CEO Myrtille Danse. (The article is in Dutch.)

Two publications of a series of five on inclusive innovation are now available online. The series covers several challenges in developing something new with impact together with low-income groups. The publications are based on experiences in three seperate pilots. In these pilots, one of the roles of the BoP Innovation Center is to capture learnings. These learnings help us increase the amount and improve the quality of inclusive innovations. It also provides leverage to change the landscape, accelerating the impact and number by taking away finanial- and policy related barriers.

Read more about how we learn on this blogpost.

The first publication sets the scene on inclusive innovation. What is the latest theory and practice? How to go from ideas to opportunities?

The second publication is about BoP Insights. How to gain market insight when data is largely not available or unreliable? How to deal with cultural, and environmental differences? BoP insights unravel characteristics of the BoP system and BoP individuals. They guide the development of inclusive innovations by understanding daily tensions, coping strategies and the decision-making processes.

To view or download the publications, go to the publication section on the website.

On Monday 22 October, Fokko Wientjes, Director Corporate Sustainable Development at DSM, delivered the second lecture in the SID 2012-2013 Lecture Series. In a discussion on 'The Private Sector as an Investor for Development' he explained his threefold message of: Public-Private Partnerships / Innovation / Scale. If we can create a Golden Square of collaboration, not only between governments and the private sector, but also with civil society and science, it is possible to come up with innovative solutions to the growing global problems. When the difficult process of creating a partnership is finished, it needs to be scaled up to have a large impact.

Myrtille Danse, Executive Director of BoP Innovation Center, led the discussion afterwards.

Growing SMEs: I'ts time to invest!

Organized by BiD Network and MVO Nederland.

November 15, World Forum, The Hague

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are the future in leading emerging markets to sustainable growth. By creating jobs and income, they are crucial to the economic and social development of these countries. On 15 November, over 400 entrepreneurs, investors and SMEs practitioners from all over the world will gather during the Growing SMES conference, an event organized by BiD Network and MVO Nederland to stimulate the development, growth and finance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in emerging markets.

On November 29 (all day), the 3P4PPI consortium is hosting the 'Implementing Inclusive Innovations' event at the Amsterdam RAI, the Netherlands. Al Hammond, blogger for NextBillion.net and Senior Entrepreneur at Ashoka, will provide us with the latest insights on inclusive innovation. 

BoPInc CEO Myrtille Danse attended the Global Compact corporate event of the sustainable development summit Rio+20. Together with Andre van Heemstra, chairman Global Compact Netherlands, she was panellist during the session on transformational partnerships. (Read her blog Innovation at Rio+20)

Five business interventions to achieve social impact, financial sustainability and scale

June 2012

BoP Innovation Center & Global Alliance on Improved Nutrition (GAIN)

Improving food and nutrition security through better availability,accessibility, and utilization of food and food products is a complex challenge. After all, it involves a sector where key activities (such as the production, distribution and consumption of food and the identification of food markets) are largely in the hands of private enterprises. Involved as consumer, producer or entrepreneur, for the Base of the Pyramid (BoP) population, interventions by the privatesector in the food value chain can increase the income of the actors in the chain, increase the availability of food products, make food products more affordable, or increase the – nutritious – quality of food. Interventions will ultimately contribute to improving the availability of and access to nutritious food and food products.

TNO progamme develops market based solutions in developing countries

 

How to manage a household with an income below 2 dollar a day? How to handle the increased food demand of 70% in the coming 40 years? These questions are relevant on a daily basis for the people of Madagascar, Mali and many other developing countries. The 21st century’s challenge is to strengthen strategies for sustainable growth and livelihood. BoP Inc.'s partner, TNO’s Innovation for Development Programme, develops market based solutions that boost economy and create social wealth in developing countries. In order to empower the four billion people with lowest incomes. Always in co-creation with local and European public and private partners.

'Everybody has to be able to use energy in 2030'; a diverse group of civil society organisations from Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, call on EU leaders to commit to eradicating energy poverty and achieving universal energy access by 2030. With a particular focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, as the region most acutely affected, the group calls for increased political will to deliver energy for all and the quantity and quality of EU funding to make this a reality.