Innovation hubs
I’ve said it before—Africa needs innovation hubs.
Microenterprise theory tells us that efficiency arises from linkages among enterprises, as opposed to the Western mode of vertical and horizontal integration. These linkages—relations with suppliers, traders, and competitors—can be promoted through geospatial clustering. But advanced capital goods and machinery are still out of reach for microenterprises and cooperation is often difficult.
That’s why innovation hubs are so important. An innovation hub should have relevant machinery open to the public for rent, as well as training programs so members can learn to use the machinery properly. The machines can be paid for by the minute (small units work better for small enterprise) or through a membership fee. Innovation hubs can be a strong asset for a local association to leverage or could operate as a for-profit enterprise. The Fab Lab has been successfully made computerized equipment accessible throughout the world. But the same model must be applied to lower end machinery in informal industrial areas.
Erik Hersman, founder of Afrigadget and Ushahidi, has just opened a new innovation hub in Nairobi, not for this segment, but for Nairobi’s ICT community. Aptly titled iHub, the space is secured for coworking, collaboration, and incubation for those in the information technology space. This is a huge achievement and will help the ICT community grow and flourish in Nairobi. Erik kindly gave me the grand tour:
68 notes
Leave a note
Making Do is an investigation into systems of innovation in Kenya's informal economy. Learn more and read the book online or in print here.
I'm Steve Daniels. I study the transformative impact of technology on individuals and societies. I am the founder of the Better World by Design conference at Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design and Analogue Digital, a publisher of content related to global cultures of technology. Currently, I work at IBM Research, where I study mobile social computing in emerging markets.
I am particularly interested in how people create, adapt, and use technology in resource-constrained environments, which I have written about in Making Do: Innovation in Kenya's Informal Economy.
- Agriculture
- Art
- Business
- Connectivity
- Culture
- Day-to-Day
- Design
- Education
- Energy
- Finance
- Green
- Health
- Household
- ICT
- Informal
- Manufacture
- Materials
- News
- Observed
- Politics
- Rural
- Safari
- Technology
- Tour
- Transport
- Urban
- AfriGadget
- Changeism
- Emerging Futures Lab
- Future Perfect
- Information Aesthetics
- Konigi
- Make
- Maker Faire Africa
- Pasta&Vinegar
- REculture
- Smarter Planet
- Timbuktu Chronicles
- White African
Great. We are planning the same thing for some west african countries. dedicated to ICT and with the purpose of promoting startup competition and local collaboration between young people
The following time I learn a blog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as a lot as this one. I imply, I do know it was my choice to learn, but I really thought youd have one thing attention-grabbing to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you could fix for those who werent too busy looking for attention.
I admire your work , thanks for all the interesting articles .
this site is my intake , real wonderful layout and perfect articles .
I envy your work , appreciate it for all the informative blog posts.
I am glad to be a visitor of this arrant web site! , thanks for this rare information! .
some genuinely excellent articles on this internet site , thanks for contribution.
I always was interested in this subject and still am, thanks for putting up.
I gotta bookmark this site it seems handy very helpful
I really delighted to find this site on bing, just what I was searching for : D likewise bookmarked .
I like reading through and I believe this website got some truly useful stuff on it! .
Only wanna input that you have a very nice website , I love the pattern it really stands out.
Just wanna comment on few general things, The website style is perfect, the content material is real great : D.
some really fantastic work on behalf of the owner of this site, dead great written content .
Very nice design and style and excellent articles , nothing at all else we require : D.
Only wanna remark on few general things, The website layout is perfect, the articles is very good : D.
Sweet website , super design and style , rattling clean and apply friendly .
Considering the knowledge available here I found various important conclusions. I’d really like to value your energy incurred in publishing.
This is a excellent bunch of information and facts you explained in this article, I honestly feel we could be expecting much more very soon.
Hey Eric. Thanks for including my PSD templates. :)
Hey, you used to write wonderful, but the last few posts have been kinda boring I miss your great writings. Past several posts are just a little out of track! come on!
Do you have a spam issue on this site; I also am a blogger, and I was wanting to know your situation; we have developed some nice practices and we are looking to exchange techniques with other folks, be sure to shoot me an e-mail if interested.
An engrossing discourse will perhaps live value report. I opine that you should pen statesman with this issue, it strength not certainly be real a bias master nevertheless commonly grouping usually are not satisfactoriness for you to speak ahead precise subject matter areas. Near the successive. Cheers just similar to your Khmer Karaoke Superstars.
Magnificent items from you, man. I have take into accout your stuff prior to and you’re simply too fantastic. I actually like what you’ve received here, certainly like what you are stating and the way in which wherein you are saying it. You’re making it enjoyable and you still take care of to keep it sensible. I can not wait to read much more from you. This is actually a terrific site.
That is very fascinating, You are a very professional blogger. I’ve joined your rss feed and sit up for searching for more of your great post. Also, I have shared your web site in my social networks
Keep up the good piece of work, I read few content on this site and I conceive that your weblog is real interesting and contains bands of superb info.
I am curious to find out what blog system you have been using? I’m having some minor security issues with my latest website and I’d like to find something more safe. Do you have any recommendations?
Woah great piece. All the info I needed for dis essay I’m strugglin wiv. Thankful!
Typically the convenient A-line chiffon prom dress is used only for as well as it really is made for the majority of characters so that it is forever in formule.
You need to take part in a contest for one of the most useful blogs on the internet. I will highly recommend this blog!
Thanks for the thoughts you reveal through this web site. In addition, numerous young women exactly who become pregnant tend not to even make an effort to get medical care insurance because they worry they would not qualify. Although a lot of states at this point require that insurers present coverage no matter the pre-existing conditions. Fees on most of these guaranteed plans are usually greater, but when considering the high cost of medical care it may be some sort of a safer way to go to protect your current financial future.
Hi, how’s it going? I recently discussed this page with a friend, we had a great chuckle.
my sister loves the tv series Ghost Whisperer but i do obtain it a bit distracting sometimes,
An alternative location to find the best issue could be to investigation the online market place for the purpose of online shops and that get rid of prom dresses you can purchase .
Usually I do not learn post on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very forced me to try and do it! Your writing taste has been surprised me. Thank you, quite nice post.
Superb site you have here but I was wanting to know if you knew of any forums that cover the same topics discussed in this article? I’d really like to be a part of online community where I can get opinions from other knowledgeable people that share the same interest. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks!
With havin so much content do you ever run into any issues of plagorism or copyright violation? My website has a lot of exclusive content I’ve either authored myself or outsourced but it appears a lot of it is popping it up all over the internet without my authorization. Do you know any methods to help protect against content from being stolen? I’d genuinely appreciate it.
Link exchange is nothing else but it is just placing the other person’s web site link on your page at proper place and other person will also do same in support of you.
If you apply these kinds of techniques for increasing traffic on your own web site, I am as expected you will get the variation in few days.
If you apply such techniques for increasing traffic on your own web site, I am obviously you will see the difference in few days.
Hello, Do You have any RSS?
Hi, i feel that i noticed you visited my weblog so i got here to “go back the favorâ€.I am trying to find things to enhance my site!I suppose its ok to make use of a few of your concepts!!
Let me start by stating nice publish. Im not sure if it has been talked about, but when using Chrome I can by no means get the entire web site to load without refreshing many times. Could just be my computer. Thanks.
It’s awesome to pay a quick visit this site and reading the views of all friends about this paragraph, while I am also keen of getting familiarity.
Finally! A blog worth studying! I bookmarked your blog!
I fondness forgathering helpful facts, this send has got me equal more info! .
look at skies (search chemtrails) fake clouds blocking sunlight… UK and USA govt’s put chemicals in tap water and food to dumb down population… this is fact…. sorry to pop your illusion.. please research everything mentioned
I have seen a great deal of tootiuee useful things on your web-site about pcs. However, I have the view that laptop computers are still not quite powerful more than enough to be a good option if you normally do projects that require a great deal of power, including video editing. But for world wide web surfing, word processing, and the majority of other frequent computer work they are fine, provided you can’t mind the small screen size. Many thanks for sharing your ideas.
I like the helpful info you provide in your articles. I’ll bookmark your weblog and check again here frequently. I’m quite sure I’ll learn many new stuff right here! Best of luck for the next!
If you apply these kinds of techniques for increasing traffic on your own blog, I am sure you will see the variation in few days.