The past labs
26–28 June 2017, the Siemens headquarters in Munich: 42 motivated entrepreneurs from Uganda and Europe are united by a common goal – to advance the electrification of Uganda.
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Solutions for non-communicable diseases in Kenya
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The conditions under which textiles are produced in countries such as India, Bangladesh and Cambodia are widely debated the world over.
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Developing joint business ideas and getting successful projects up and running – that's the pledge the Darmstadt-based science and technology company Merck and GIZ agreed to.
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More food – less waste
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Adults playing with building bricks, tinker telephones from memo pads, re-enact scenes from a bus ride – and therewith find five solutions to Zambia’s taxation problem in the first lab of tomorrow.
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Success stories
ZAMeT - A prototype going big steps in Zambia
Since the end of 2015, ibes works together with the Zambian Tax Authorities on a mobile eTax system. Big steps have been gone and the launch is soon to come.
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Wheeling Fruits - A prototype taking on the challenge of reducing food waste
In Kenya an estimated 64% of approximately 580,000 MT of mango production are wasted, due to different reasons. Wheeling fruits means processing of surplus fruits at farm gate level via a mobile processing unit.
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Reality check in Kenya – a quiz on health
The next phase in the battle against non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Kenya was launched in May 2017. The innovation workshop held at Merck in Darmstadt just three months earlier provided a forum for entrepreneurs, government representatives and health experts from Kenya and Europe to fine tune a number of potential business ideas.
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lab of tomorrow – straight to the heart of the matter, much closer to the people involved // An interview with SAP manager Michael Pittelkow
Iteration workshops in the partner countries
Iteration workshop lab 2
In November 2016, a diverse group of European and Kenyan companies met up in Nairobi in order to tackle the extensive food waste challenge of this country.
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Iteration workshop lab 3
What entrepreneurial solutions does Kenya’s health care system really need? From 1 to 3 November, participants in the third lab of tomorrow met in Nairobi, where they tried out their business ideas in real conditions.
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Testimonials
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"The lab of tomorrow is a truly enriching experience and a demonstration of the value of teamwork in generating solutions with people from diverse backgrounds. A great experience.“
Elizabeth Ogaja
Health minister of the county Kisumu (Kenya) -
"The lab of tomorrow brings together companies from Europe and Africa and creates new ideas."
Günter Nooke
Personal Representative of the German Chancellor for Africa in the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) -
“The lab of tomorrow - Excellent methodology, dedication, innovations and results. Keep it up!”
Berlin Msiska
Former Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Commissioner-General -
"The lab of tomorrow is a very innovative method for developing solutions with companies worldwide."
Dr. Christoph Beier
Vice-chair of the management board -
"The lab of tomorrow – Let’s talk energy!“
Magoola Baker Kirunda & Alinc Nurcan
Corporate Communications Manager - Kainyara Sugar Limited (Kirunda) & Business Development Manager Ugandan Manufacturer Association UMA - CIM Expert (Nurcan) -
"The lab of tomorrow has developed many business models that inspire us."
Dr. Kai Beckmann
Member of the executive board and chief administration officer at Merck -
"The lab of tomorrow is a great "laboratory" for the joint implementation of innovative solutions."
Gunda Amat Amoros
Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) -
"The lab of tomorrow is innovation alive.“
Michael Pittelkow
Executive development policy partner relations at SAP Africa -
"The lab of tomorrow gave me the chance to have a real impact in Africa on the things that matter.”
José Ernesto Olmeda Pereira
ibes AG -
"The lab of tomorrow is developing tailor-made solutions for Africa – transferred into business."
Sabine Dall’Omo
CEO at SIEMENS South Africa -
“The lab of tomorrow – innovation isn’t just about products; it’s about making the required change happen.”
Lilian Mbau
Project Manager & NCD Programme Advisor at AMREF
Publications
Risk checklist - Guidelines for effective management of the risks associated with new business projects in developing countries
Together with Deloitte, who also participated in our previous labs, we have developed a toolbox for effective risk minimization for entrepreneurs with a project in a developing country or emerging market. The toolbox addresses risks during all steps of project planning.
Risk minimization tool box (pdf, 19.84 MB, EN)
OECD - Private sector engagement for sustainable development: Lessons from the DAC
Creating opportunities for innovation: US and German approaches
Germany and the United States have launched initiatives that aim to facilitate the development of innovative solutions to development challenges by bringing together a range of private sector and other stakeholders. These initiatives are structured to enable participants to identify and co-create solutions that are then backed and tested by the government with the goal of facilitating scale-up of successful solutions by private sector actors and other partners.
Germany makes use of the lab of tomorrow to bring together private sector stakeholders and others to identify solutions to development challenges. The lab uses unique buildings and spaces to bring participants together to workshop potential business models to address challenges. GIZ, which implements the lab, identifies challenges but leaves it up to private sector partners to identify the solutions. Solutions are then backed up with financial and technical assistance commitments by GIZ for further development.
USAID uses its Broad Agency Announcements – amongst other approaches and mechanisms – to collaborate and promote innovation with the private sector and other organisations to address development challenges without clearly defined solutions. Under this approach, the private sector is invited to submit solutions to development challenges. The approach encourages private partners to co-define problems and co-create solutions with the government, including through the use of system-level thinking.
