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

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Get involved

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

461

Companies participated

Promising Concepts

Ventures preparing market entry

Businesses active in the market

Siemens

–

Fopo–Bayer

–

TÜV Rheinland

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Tui

–

Merck

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Boehringer Ingelheim

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Bayer

–

SAP

–

Roche

–

Africa Works

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DHL

–

ibes

–

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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Blue-economy | South-africa

LOT

Blue Economy Solutions in South Africa

This challenge is in phase: Understand target

🚀 Join the lab of tomorrow at the Ocean Innovation Africa conference from 23-25 March 2026 in Durban and develop your Blue Economy business in South Africa!

GIZ, the AHK Southern Africa and Ocean Innovation Africa invite you to apply for the lab of tomorrow business development programme at the Ocean Innovation Africa conference from 23-25 March 2026 in Durban, South Africa.

What’s in it for you?

We match your company with German and African businesses and experts that bring complementary skills to the table. Together, you’ll co-create business solutions for local markets. You explore potential for joint ventures or strategic partnerships and benefit from local and international insights and expertise.

How it works:

Choose 1 of 7 validated blue economy business opportunities.
We match you with relevant German and African business partners based on common business interests and complementary resoruces.
Co-create concrete business models in a four-hour workshop at the Ocean Innovation Africa Conference using the design thinking method.
Pitch your business solution to a panel of experts and potential partners in an online demo session to gather feedback on feasibility, innovation, and impact potential
The strongest teams receive incubation support to further develop and pilot their business ideas.
African companies are eligible for a 50% discount on their Ocean Innovation Africa conference ticket.

01

Understand

South Africa’s blue economy business landscape and opportunities

South Africa’s blue economy is rooted in strong natural and economic assets: a long coastline, strategic ports, and established industries such as fisheries, maritime services, and port-linked logistics. The opportunity is less about creating new sectors and more about modernising existing value chains, improving performance, and unlocking value that is currently lost through inefficiencies and underinvestment. With Ocean Innovation Africa hosted in Durban, this becomes highly practical. Durban and the KwaZulu-Natal coastline offer a live environment to test partnerships and solutions in port operations, coastal circular economy systems, and climate resilience in real conditions.

Durban offers a concentrated environment where blue economy opportunities can be grounded in immediate operational realities. The most relevant Durban-linked opportunities align strongly with port and logistics innovation, coastal circular economy systems shaped by river-to-ocean waste flows, and resilience delivery models for coastal cities and infrastructure. Durban is also well positioned for ocean technology applications linked to port operations and coastal monitoring, as well as enabling roles within offshore renewable energy value chains through port servicing and marine support ecosystems.

Choose 1 of 7 validated business opportunities:

Business Opportunities

Smart port efficiency and logistics innovation

Cold chain and seafood value chain upgrades

Coastal circular economy ventures

Coastal resilience delivery models for cities and ports

Ocean technology and monitoring-as-a-service for operational users

Offshore renewables enabling ventures

Blue tourism

Blue-economy | South-africa

LOT

Blue Economy Solutions in South Africa

This challenge is in phase: Understand target

🚀 Join the lab of tomorrow at the Ocean Innovation Africa conference from 23-25 March 2026 in Durban and develop your Blue Economy business in South Africa!

What’s in it for you?

How it works:

Choose 1 of 7 validated blue economy business opportunities.
We match you with relevant German and African business partners based on common business interests and complementary resoruces.
Co-create concrete business models in a four-hour workshop at the Ocean Innovation Africa Conference using the design thinking method.
Pitch your business solution to a panel of experts and potential partners in an online demo session to gather feedback on feasibility, innovation, and impact potential
The strongest teams receive incubation support to further develop and pilot their business ideas.
African companies are eligible for a 50% discount on their Ocean Innovation Africa conference ticket.

01

Understand

South Africa’s blue economy business landscape and opportunities

Choose 1 of 7 validated business opportunities:

Business Opportunities

Smart port efficiency and logistics innovation

Cold chain and seafood value chain upgrades

Coastal circular economy ventures

Coastal resilience delivery models for cities and ports

Ocean technology and monitoring-as-a-service for operational users

Offshore renewables enabling ventures

Blue tourism

Blue-economy | South-africa

LOT

Blue Economy Solutions in South Africa

This challenge is in phase: Understand target

🚀 Join the lab of tomorrow at the Ocean Innovation Africa conference from 23-25 March 2026 in Durban and develop your Blue Economy business in South Africa!

What’s in it for you?

How it works:

Choose 1 of 7 validated blue economy business opportunities.
We match you with relevant German and African business partners based on common business interests and complementary resoruces.
Co-create concrete business models in a four-hour workshop at the Ocean Innovation Africa Conference using the design thinking method.
Pitch your business solution to a panel of experts and potential partners in an online demo session to gather feedback on feasibility, innovation, and impact potential
The strongest teams receive incubation support to further develop and pilot their business ideas.
African companies are eligible for a 50% discount on their Ocean Innovation Africa conference ticket.