On the factors affecting frugal innovation diffusion on Sub-Saharan Africa BoP

On the factors affecting frugal innovation diffusion on Sub-Saharan Africa BoP: An evidence-based study using data from Participatory Rural Appraisal

Boldrini, Nicola (TU Delft Technology, Policy and Management)

van de Kaa, G. (mentor)
van Beers, Cees (graduation committee)
Chappin, E.J.L. (mentor)
Brusoni, Stefano (mentor)
La Cara, Barbara (mentor)

Delft University of Technology
ETH Zürich

Management of Technology (MoT)

2018-04-05

Margot Wallstrom once argued that there can be no sustainable development without sustainable energy development. Despite several organizations already recognized that (rural) electrification leads to socio-economic developments and improvements related to health, productivity and education in 2013, 1.2 billion people – half of which in Africa – still remain un-electrified. To address the problem, this qualitative research analyzes data through the so-called Gioia method previously collected utilizing Participatory Rural Appraisal tools (PRA) in the context of Kenyan BoP community. The final aim of the study than is to answer to the following research question: Which factors positively affect the diffusion of frugal innovation at the BoP? In view of this, the study tries to overcome the traditional lack of information regarding BoP consumers’ preferences through the case of a social enterprise diffusing frugal innovation in the Sub-Saharan Africa BoP energy market.

Frugal innovation
Rural electrification
Participatory rural appraisal (PRA)
Social innovation
Absorptive capacity
Emering markets

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:c5e81d5a-3ebf-4e05-ab62-8db6bdd2e4d3

Student theses

master thesis

© 2018 Nicola Boldrini