Publication database

The Frontiers of Inclusive Innovation Policy Forum was organized by ESCAP in collaboration with Digital Pathways at Oxford, the Inclusive Business Action Network (iBAN), the Honey Bee Network, and the Gujarat Grassroots Innovations Augmentation Network (GIAN). It gathered policy makers, experts and practitioners in digital transformation, inclusive innovation, and governance to explore best practices, remaining challenges, and further opportunities to promote inclusive technology and innovation policies.

Between November 2018 and November 2019, Gates Foundation and Mars Edge discussed collaboration opportunities to accelerate the urban go-to-market strategy of Mars Edge’s nutritious savory snack GoMo™, specifically designed to help address nutritional deficiencies of 6-18 year olds in India, with a focus on reaching low-income consumers. The Growth for Growth (G4G) network of service providers set up by the Foundation’s PSP program co-designed this strategy to reach lower-income urban areas. In December 2019, the PSP approved a grant to assess and adapt the model during a market test. As part of the grant, the collaboration between G4G and Mars then continued until December 2020. This case study aims to share the lessons learned throughout this journey, in terms of public-private collaboration and innovation process.

Consumer intelligence refers to the insights and recommendations generated by research teams about target demographics of consumers. In the Growth for Growth network, ThinkPlace used a range of research methods to develop consumer intelligence. Regardless of method, this research focused on spending time with people in their context, learning about how consumers experience the world, not how we see their world externally. 

This toolkit introduced design-led prototyping for companies serving low-income customers. Design-led prototyping is an iterative process, meaning that critique and refinement comes through a series of validation exercises wherein consumers provide feedback to the prototype. Testing does not entail asking users what they think about the prototype as much as it anchors a broader conversation with consumers about how the central idea of the prototype might add value in their lives. 

This snapshot report details how prioritising green and social enterprises delivers triple returns - economic, social and environmental – in both short and long terms. It analyses the status quo, gaps and potentials of green and social enterprises as well as the SME support landscape in different areas and locations. Building on in-depth SEED-conducted interviews with enterprises and enterprise support providers, green recovery contributions and support opportunities were identified to improve the existing support offers for green and social enterprises in a green recovery context.

Social enterprises have shown resilience and agility in response to the pandemic's severe challenges, offering new products, services, and trading models to support their communities. This global survey explores these responses along with the uneven impact on different demographic groups and variations across regions. It also looks at support provision, growth expectations and implications on social enterprises as generators of employment.

Finding The Frontier examines the trajectory and velocity of sub-Saharan Africa’s growth story in the context of Covid-19 and begins to uncover investment opportunities across its regional ecosystems. A fast-growing, young and urbanising population has led to an increase in product penetration rates and closed the inclusion gaps. Tech-enabled companies well positioned to capitalise on these and other trends discussed will enable the transformation of a continent and offer solid returns to savvy investors.

Population growth, rapid urbanisation, and a young population are major trends shaping the future of African agriculture. The sector must take on these issues to safeguard its future ability to produce enough food. Therefore, it is imperative to establish an integrated land management strategy by increasing organic matter, retaining moisture, and increasing the use of inorganic fertilisers. Governments must invest in technical and professional agricultural education. In addition, policies must clearly support family farming and the facilitation of private sector intervention via inclusive business models.

This report provides practical lessons from TechnoServe’s past experiences working with businesses during crises, as well as early insights from the coronavirus pandemic. It outlines TechnoServe’s three-step framework for supporting entrepreneurs through the crisis: (1) Reset the goal to business survival, (2) Adapt the program to the new needs of entrepreneurs during the crisis, (3) Engage the ecosystem to foster cooperation and learning.