Insights

Business Model Innovation in the Era of Sustainable Development Goals

Together with UX Berlin and ESCP Business School we show how values-based Innovation management can be applied to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This paper includes a classification system for business model innovation in the context of development cooperation.

Business Model Innovation in the Era of Sustainable Development Goals

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

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.

OECD-Peer-Review: „Private Sector Engagement for Sustainable Development: Lessons from the DAC"