Kickstarting businesses and development in !!!emerging!!! markets

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Lab of Tomorrow - How

The lot programme

Find out how sustainable and profitable business models are created in lab of tomorrow programme and where you can get involved.

PHASE 0

Development challenge

A local development challenge with business potential is the starting point of any lab of tomorrow programme.

PHASE 1

Understand local needs

Unmet needs of the local population and business opportunities are discovered.

PHASE 2

Ideate solutions

Products and services that tackle unmet needs are co-created by interdisciplinary teams.

PHASE 3

Incubate business

Market-ready products and services are developed through the newly established joint ventures.

PHASE 4

Sustainable business

Impact-driven ventures owned and driven by the private sector.

Where it all begins

PHASE 0

Development challenge

A general development challenge with business potential is defined to be addressed within the lab of tomorrow programme. The roles and responsibilities of the programme partners are clearly defined.

Start a challenge

The basis of our programme

PHASE 1

Understand local needs

Unmet needs of the local population and potential business opportunities are discovered. These insights form the basis for defining sustainable business opportunities and attracting suitable companies for the lab of tomorrow programme.

Team work makes a dream work

PHASE 2

Ideate solutions

The participating companies – often supported by actors from local public sector, civil society and academia – ideate business solutions in small, interdisciplinary groups. This happens in an ‘Ideation Sprint’ – an intense 4-day workshop supported by professional facilitators that concludes with the outline of a business model.

Finetuning business models

PHASE 3

Incubate business

The participating teams enter the incubation phase to refine, test and ultimately pilot their business model in the target market. Typically, the incubation phase takes about 3-4 months and encompasses coaching for the teams by Business Design experts and might also include additional in-kind support. The incubation phase closes with a pitch in front of investors.

Impact-driven ventures

PHASE 4

Sustainable business

The results of the lab of tomorrow programme are viable ventures owned and driven by the private sector that make a strong, scaling contribution to reaching the SDGs and are independent from development corporation funding.

Ventures that are operating the market

next phase: understand target group need

next phase: ideate solutions

next phase: incubate business

next phase: sustainable business

News and stories

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See all news & stories

News and stories

See all news & stories

Invest

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Start a process

Join a process

Start a process

How it works

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How it works

The lab of tomorrow

An unique tool for customized business solutions.

The mission of the lab of tomorrow (lot) process is to turn business opportunities in developing countries into profitable businesses. We are convinced that only viable businesses will have a long-term impact on sustainable development.

More Info

The lot drives business
We bring access to new markets, local expertise and business opportunities in developing countries
The lot builds relevant networks
We match businesses, non-profits and political decision makers from the EU and developing countries to co-create and co-own products
The lot creates social impact
The new products and services contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Our track record

The lab of tomorrow has been the programme of choice by GIZ projects, the Austrian and the Swiss Development Agencies as well as companies to solve specific development challenges all over the world.

Running & completed programmes

438

Companies participated

Promising Concepts

Ventures preparing market entry

Businesses active in the market

Siemens

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Fopo–Bayer

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TÜV Rheinland

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Tui

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Merck

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Boehringer Ingelheim

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Bayer

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SAP

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Roche

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Africa Works

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DHL

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ibes

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Your opportunities

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Develop  your business  in emerging markets

Start process

Solve your development
challenge

Initiate a lab of
tomorrow process to:

Generate innovative and viable business solutions addressing a challenge.
Join forces with actors from the EU and local emerging markets, from the private sector but also politics and science.
Profit from their expertise, access to markets & technologies as well as available resources.

Start process

Develop  your business  in emerging markets

Start process

Solve your development
challenge

Initiate a lab of
tomorrow process to:

Generate innovative and viable business solutions addressing a challenge.
Join forces with actors from the EU and local emerging markets, from the private sector but also politics and science.

Start process

Invest in solutions and support innovations

Start process

Solve your development
challenge

Initiate a lab of
tomorrow process to:

Generate innovative and viable business solutions addressing a challenge.

Start process

How it works

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How it works

Any questions?

Ready to invest

start a challenge How it works

Become a partner or mentor

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Become Part of our network

Ready to create impact?

Propose a challenge

Toolkit

Conducting your own lab of tomorrow process and needing the right tools?

The toolkit supports you in conducting your own lab of tomorrow process by giving you all the materials you need.

Who can participate?

Why should I participate?

How can I take part? Are there any prerequisites for participating in an lot programme?

What is the timeline of a lab of tomorrow programme?

Do I have to participate in the entire lab of tomorrow programme?

I did not take part in the Ideation Sprint. Can I still join a running programme?

Is there a participation fee? How much does the participation cost?

How can I prepare for the Ideation Sprint?

Who will I be working with during the lot programme?

Who owns the products or services that are being developed?

Who will finance the further development of the business models?

How do I become a partner of the lot?

Currently running challenges

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Biodiversity | Namibia | Tourism

LOT

Biodiversity pays off digitally in Namibia

This challenge is in phase: Sustainable Business

How might we better protect the biodiversity in Namibia by creating digital, biodiversity-based businesses in conservation landscapes and by capitalizing on the local population’s expertise and resources?

Biodiversity and conservation areas are increasingly under pressure due to climate change, poaching and human-wild-life conflicts. The economic pressure has further risen during the COVID-19 crisis, as tourism has significantly decreased and Namibians in rural areas have dramatically less income. The 16th lab of tomorrow programme seeks to both provide incentives for the sustainable use of biodiversity and diversify income streams for local communities.

Partners

01

Understand

Biodiversity is of crucial importance for Namibia. 70% of Namibians depend on biodiversity and natural resources for their livelihood. However, pressure on biodiversity, conservation areas and added economic pressure significantly reduced tourism and, therefore, dramatically lowered income for Namibians. To reduce the breakdown of income, reinforced by the negative impact of COVID-19, the lab of tomorrow programme seeks to increase incomes for the local population in rural areas through jobs that are dependent on biodiversity, strengthen the connection to "Landscape Philanthropists," which donate regularly and connect with virtual tourism products and other digital solutions.

Business Opportunities

Connecting nature lovers with nature protection

Gamified biodiversity experiences for gamers and nature lovers

Interacting virtually with artisans in their creation process

Incentivised virtual tourism for individuals

Digital wildlife experiences for tourism and zoos

02

Ideate Solutions

Read more about the ideation sprint where the teams developed 5 innovative business ideas.

Participants

Companies

Ideas developed

Proven Business Models

03

Incubate business

5 ventures successfully entered the Incubation Phase.

04

Sustainable Business

AfriArtsy

Afri Artsy is a global marketplace for African art to match the huge global demand for ethically produced artisanal products. Individual and retail customers have the opportunity to interact with the work of local artisans to receive tailor-made products.

Skytrip

Skytrip enables a digital travel experience with tours of Namibia for customers from all over the world. As a technology platform for local suppliers, the business model is to mount 360 camera rigs on vehicles and at waterholes.

Go to venture

Better than flowers

Better than flowers is an online gifting platform that solves the problem of picking out yet another gift while addressing pressing conservation issues in Namibia. The platform promotes integration with local communities and direct collaboration with landscape conservationists.

Clipspringer

Clipspringer is a platform that provides a digital marketplace to connect content buyers with content. Content from local creators with access to wildlife is available to tour operators and other customers.

AfriBox

AfriBox offers a physical and digital adventure delivered in a box to the customer's doorstep worldwide. Integrated with digital aspects such as a game, VR content and physical components, AfriBox offers a unique, exclusive and authentic engagement in Africa that directly supports local communities and conservation areas.