Impakter
  • News
    • Culture
      • Art
      • Cinema
      • Entertainment
      • Literature
      • Music
      • Photography
    • Style
      • Architecture
      • Design
      • Fashion
      • Foodscape
      • Lifestyle
    • Society
      • Business
      • Foreign Affairs & Politics
      • Health
      • Tech
      • Science
      • Start-up
    • Impact
      • Environment
      • Eco Life
      • Circular Economy
      • COP26
      • CityLife
        • Copenhagen
        • San Francisco
        • Seattle
        • Sydney
      • Sustainability Series
        • SDGs Series
        • Shape Your Future
        • 2030: Dream or Reality
      • Philanthropy
        • United Nations
        • NGO & Charities
        • Essays
  • Sustainability Index
  • Partners
  • About
    • Team
    • Contributors
    • Global Leaders
    • Write for Impakter
      • Republishing Content
      • Permissions and Copyright
      • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Culture
      • Art
      • Cinema
      • Entertainment
      • Literature
      • Music
      • Photography
    • Style
      • Architecture
      • Design
      • Fashion
      • Foodscape
      • Lifestyle
    • Society
      • Business
      • Foreign Affairs & Politics
      • Health
      • Tech
      • Science
      • Start-up
    • Impact
      • Environment
      • Eco Life
      • Circular Economy
      • COP26
      • CityLife
        • Copenhagen
        • San Francisco
        • Seattle
        • Sydney
      • Sustainability Series
        • SDGs Series
        • Shape Your Future
        • 2030: Dream or Reality
      • Philanthropy
        • United Nations
        • NGO & Charities
        • Essays
  • Sustainability Index
  • Partners
  • About
    • Team
    • Contributors
    • Global Leaders
    • Write for Impakter
      • Republishing Content
      • Permissions and Copyright
      • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Impakter
No Result
View All Result
Home Society Business

North-South Collaboration Through Rapid Prototyping: Doing it the Minimum-Viable Way

byCGIAR
September 24, 2020
in Business
Prototyping for Norht-South collaboration

Dutch and Malawian researchers implement international rapid prototyping for North-South collaboration and knowledge co-creation. Photo: R. Lubberink (WUR)

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Researchers walk the talk of North-South collaboration using international rapid prototyping.

Everyone seems to be talking about fostering collaboration between actors in the Global North and the Global South. However, “putting your money where your mouth is” does not always come easily. There are many challenges that come into play when trying to facilitate such collaborations. However, in a recent publication, we, researchers at Wageningen University and Research (WUR) and Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), explain how North-South collaboration can be put into practice using international rapid prototyping events (IRPE). During an IRPE, participants form international teams to collectively brainstorm, develop and test minimum-viable solutions for challenges experienced by a local case owner. In our recent journal article, we also demonstrate how such an IRPE can be organized while using very minimal resources.

Putting emerging economies at the center of entrepreneurship and innovation

While teaching the university course “Entrepreneurship and innovation in emerging economies,” at WUR, three of the authors, including myself, kept running into an important challenge: how to get “emerging economies” to the forefront of the classroom, as opposed to merely being a contextual add-on. We aimed to connect and weave experiences of emerging economies with the various understandings and teachings of entrepreneurship and innovation and the tools already offered. At the same time, we also wanted to make entrepreneurship education more inclusive to students from the Global South.


Related Articles: The Effects of Globalisation on Diversity | Agribuisinesses in East Aftica| Impact of Climate Change on the Economy

The idea then emerged to have students from the Global South and North work together in an IRPE using a minimum-viable approach. Why not start by making use of the resources (e.g. social media platforms and mainstream communication technologies) and networks at hand? Would it not be better to allow the students to work on a real-life entrepreneurial case located in the emerging economy? This approach could boost inclusion while also moving the context of the emerging economy to the forefront.

Continuing our “minimum-viable” North-South collaboration

As IRPE researchers involved in the “Understanding and scaling organizations for smallholder resilience” (OSMARE) research project, we were conducting fieldwork on entrepreneurship in the dairy industry in the Central Region of Malawi when we bumped into a cheesemaker at a local farmers market. The local cheesemaker shared critical challenges he faced in scaling his business. We therefore suggested he serve as the case study for our IRPE to allow for a practical experience of collaborative problem-solving and solution-building.

While reflecting upon the intended outputs and outcomes of the IRPE, the project researchers identified that developing boundary crossing competencies are crucial skills for all participants to master during the IRPE, in order to thrive in dynamic and turbulent contexts. Such an approach implies that learning is not merely a process of acquisition of knowledge or skills, it is one of collaboration across a wide range of learning environments. Indispensable components of this process are situatedness, contextuality, cultural embeddedness and social mediation.

Researchers in Central Malawi participate in an IRPE with the OSMARE project.
Researchers in Central Malawi participate in an IRPE with the OSMARE project. Photo: R. Lubberlink (WUR)

Participants learned how to ideate and work with minimal resources and infrastructure to co-create appropriate solutions on the ground. They were able to apply systems thinking, cross-cultural collaboration and action-research to gain insights for the development of new knowledge and practices. The result from this fusion of diverse perspectives is the production of alternative ingredients that the cheesemaker can use to develop new varieties of their product. In addition, a new product is created by repurposing what is considered, in the current production process, as “waste.”

Not only was the actual IRPE an experience in prototyping, but in fact the process engaged in a unique sort of rapid prototyping all along. It was by making use of the resources available at hand, the courses we were teaching, and our surrounding networks, that we effectuated our way to the article about the IRPE. We hope that this how-to article for IRPE inspires others to experiment with North-South collaborations.


About the author: Rob Lubberink is a Post-Doc Researcher for the OSMARE project at Wageningen University & Research.


Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by Impakter.com columnists are their own, not those of Impakter.com.

Tags: East AfricaEconomic CollaborationGlobal SouthNorth-Southresearch
Previous Post

COVID-19 and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg

Next Post

Reducing Costs In Healthcare Management With Technology

CGIAR

CGIAR

CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) seeks to address the increasing challenge of global warming and declining food security on agricultural practices, policies and measures through strategic, broad-based global partnerships

Related Posts

Apple Tax Ireland
Business

Apple Could Be Forced to Pay a $14 Billion Tax Bill by EU. Here’s Why

May 25, 2023
complex vs complicated environments
Business

Complex vs Complicated: Why Understanding the Difference Is Critical for Innovation in Sustainability

May 10, 2023
Green Bricks: How Green Can LEGO Go?
Business

Green Bricks: How Green Can LEGO Go?

May 4, 2023
Next Post
Reducing Costs In Healthcare Management With Technology

Reducing Costs In Healthcare Management With Technology

Recent News

water

Water Quality in America: Under Threat?

May 30, 2023
Who Is Liable if AI Violates Your Human Rights?

Who Is Liable if AI Violates Your Human Rights?

May 30, 2023
slow fast fashion

Slow Down Fast Fashion

May 30, 2023

Impakter informs you through the eco news site and empowers your sustainable lifestyle with its eco products marketplace.

Visit here IMPAKTER ECO for your eco products needs.

Registered Office Address

32 Lots Road, London
SW10 0QJ, United Kingdom


IMPAKTER Limited

Company number: 10806931

Impakter is a publication that is identified by the following International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is the following 2515-9569 (Printed) and 2515-9577 (online – Website).


Office Hours - Monday to Friday

9.30am - 5.00pm CEST


Email

stories [at] impakter.com

Playwire

Advertise on this site.

About Us

  • Team
  • Contributors
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Partners

By Audience

  • Lifestyle
  • Green Finance
  • Culture
  • Society
  • Style
  • Impact

Impakter Platforms

  • Media
  • Index

© 2023 IMPAKTER. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Culture
    • Style
    • Society
    • Impact
  • Sustainability Index
  • About
    • Team
    • Partners
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

© 2023 IMPAKTER. All rights reserved.