Innovation in Developing Countries
Jul 31st, 2008 by Kevin
I am a firm believer in the power of human ingenuity to triumph over adversity, when push comes to shove - when conditions get to a point of pain for many, when the business and financial rewards become viable innovation will stir. Take oil prices for instance. Until prices get to a point of pain for many people, little will really be done to increase the fuel efficiency of vehicles. Yes their are hybrids, but the the pressure to innovate in this space has really just started recently. Take for instance an article I read in Fast Company from last November about a guy named Johnathon Goodwin, who is truly innovating in this space. The article talks about how he has got 100 mpg out of a Lincoln continental, and has cut emissions by 80% and doubled the horsepower. His newest experiment is dropping a jet engine in a his version of a hybrid Hummer. When the batteries run low, the jet engine will fire and supercharge a set of batteries that will allow the vehicle to perform amazing feats of acceleration. Oh yes, and the turbine runs on bio-diesel and he has doubled the horsepower from 300 to 600. Now thats true innovation.
Innovation opportunities do not just lie in developed countries. In fact there is much more room for smaller but even more impactful innovations in developing countries. Things that might get passed over in many countries become life changing solutions in other parts of the world. Take for instance an article I just read today about a system deployed in Nicaragua that will pasteurize milk using solar energy. Not only does this now allow for energy conservation, in a world with ever increasing energy costs, but also will reduce the sickness and disease previously caused by unpasteurized or poorly pasteurized milk. Of course my mind immediately moves to the many other niche applications that solar energy or other alternative energy sources could provide to developing countries especially in the remote areas. A great example is a company called Blue Energy is using wind turbines to provide electricity to remote villages in eastern Nicaragua.
These innovations also become powerful tools for helping build sustainable developments in these countries. Not only does it reduce costs, but also makes developments more eco friendly, and self sustaining.
