Network Member

Understanding Local Innovation in a Business Ecosystem in Gurue, Mozambique

Research

This report was produced by IDIN 2016 Summer Research Fellow Katrine Tjoelsen, who traveled to Gurue, Mozambique to understand the dynamics of local innovation among smallholders farmers in this rural community. This report presents a summary of findings from 30 interviews with smallholder farmers as well as insights from a much larger survey administered in collaboration with TechnoServe, the local project partner for this research.

Author:

Katrine Tjoelsen

Download Document

Learning to Adapt: A Case Study of a Climate Change Pilot Project in Shaanxi, China

Research

This report and case study presents the research of IDIN 2016 Summer Research Fellow Jessica Gordon, who researched an innovative poverty alleviation and climate adaptation pilot project in a village in rural western China. The case study finds that the project was effective in influencing the local development plan for the area to take into consideration climate change adaptation and mitigation and to link these issues to poverty reduction, making this the first county in China to develop a climate resilient local development plan.

Author:

Jessica Gordon

Download Document

Assembly Traders as Supply Chain Integrators for Smallholder Farmers

Research

This report summarizes the research of 2016 IDIN Summer Research Fellows Kate Collins and Bar Pereg, who conducted research on the role of assembly traders in the value chains for smallholder maize production in Uganda. This report identifies three key barriers that currently prevent smallscale agregators from playing a more beneficial role in the supply chain and also identifies several promising and innovative local initiatives that are piloting solutions to the key challenges identified.

Author:

Kate Collins and Bar Pereg

Download Document

Ghanaian Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Research

This undergraduate thesis presents the results of 28 in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs and local innovators in four cities across Ghana. The thesis explores the motivations and backgrounds of these entrepreneurs, the factors that have led them to create their own businesses, and structural enablers and barriers to local innovation in the Ghanaian context. This research builds on fieldwork conducted by the co-authors through the IDIN Summer Research Fellowship.

Author:

Thesis by Grace Connors and Jessica Press-Williams

Download Document

From Innovators' Perspective: Processes of Grassroots Innovation in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

Research

This Masters thesis seeks to understand the innovation processes of grassroots innovators in two states in Southern India. Through interviews and case study research, the thesis sheds light on how each innovator has developed his innovation from idea to product, as well as on the enabling conditions that are needed in order to support processes of local innovation in Southern India.

Author:

MCP Thesis by Asresh Guttikonda

Download Document

EZ NCORO Human-Powered Washing Machine Report, IDDS Botswana

Presentations & Reports

The Ez Ncoro Team built a simple, low-cost, human-powered washing machine with the aim of reducing the time and effort required to wash clothes and conserving water, a precious commodity for the D’kar residents. With such a product, the D’kar community, especially the women (who are culturally assigned the role of washing clothes) can use their extra time towards rearing their families or running businesses.

This posted was designed by a team of participants at IDDS Botswana. It aims to share information and knowledge gleaned from the team’s work during the summit.

Download Document

EZ NCORO Human-Powered Washing Machine Poster, IDDS Botswana

Presentations & Reports

This poster was designed by a team of participants at IDDS Botswana. It aims to share information and knowledge gleaned from the team’s work during the summit.

Download Document

CGUI TSAM Morama Nut Coffee Poster, IDDS Botswana

Presentations & Reports

The Morama nut is indigenous to the Kalahari Desert. It is widely used in the D’kar community given its high nutritional value. Theteam researched the possible different products that can be made from the Morama nut and tested out a Morama-based hot beverage called “Cgui Tsam” that could be produced locally, stirring up potential entrepreneurial activities.

This poster was designed by a team of participants at IDDS Botswana. It aims to share information and knowledge gleaned from the team’s work during the summit.

Download Document

CGUI Morama Nut Sheller Poster, IDDS Botswana

Presentations & Reports

This poster was designed by a team of participants at IDDS Botswana. It aims to share information and knowledge gleaned from the team’s work during the summit.

Download Document

CGUI Morama Nut Sheller Report, IDDS Botswana

Presentations & Reports

The Morama nut is indigenous to the Kalahari Desert. It is widely used in the D’kar community given its high nutritional value. However, given its hard outer shell and the traditional method of shelling using stones, the current process is laborious. The Cgui team built two prototypes: a simple handheld cracker and a rotary machine. The handheld cracker can shell Morama nuts at a faster rate. The rotary machine can crack larger quantities of Morama nuts and has the potential to be used commercially. Additionally, the team researched the possible different products that can be made from the Morama nut and tested out a Morama-based hot beverage called “Cgui Tsam” that could be produced locally, stirring up potential entrepreneurial activities.

This report was prepared by a team of participants at IDDS Botswana. It aims to share information and knowledge gleaned from the team’s work during the summit.

Download Document

Search form

Pages