Pathways to Sustainability Based on Advanced Frugal Innovation: Innovation Generation and Innovation Scaling under Resource Constraints

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Ingo Liefner
• Subject Area: Human Geography
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 532215595

The speed of the transition to a sustainable economy and society (Sustainability Transition) depends crucially on how quickly environmentally friendly innovations become established in poorer countries around the world. This process is inhibited when green innovations originate in the affluent countries of the North, tailored to their factor costs and market needs, and re-inforce the wealth gap between North and South. On the other hand, the process is accelerated if the innovations are increasingly produced by actors from the countries of the South. The extent to which actors from countries with widespread poverty are able to produce environmentally friendly innovations, produce them on a large scale and use them, is discussed under the terms of inclusive innovations and frugal innovations. Some countries of the Global South have clear advantages, especially when it comes to generating so-called “Advanced Frugal Innovations (AFI)”. These innovations are also said to have the potential to combine ecological and social advantages. The research project presented here "Ways to Sustainability through Advanced Frugal Innovation: Innovation generation and -scaling under conditions of resource scarcity" examines which factors influence the creation and scaling of innovation. Tamil Nadu (India) and Western Cape (South Africa) serve as the primary study areas. The conceptual background is provided by the Regional Lead Markets for Eco-Innovations concept. Extensive empirical work is used, e.g. semi-standardized surveys. All research work is coordinated with designated local colleagues and partially supported by them in the execution.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants