Name and affiliations of the session organisers
- Christopher Foster (University of Manchester)
- Aarti Krishnan (University of Manchester)
SPECIAL SESSIONS
SS3: Examining the global, regional and local challenges in inclusive innovation
Description
In the previous decade, significant progress has been made in moving away from the conceptualisation of innovation that forefront economies and leading firms in the global north, towards broader and more diverse perspectives. This has led to significant development in understanding around macro-economic models of innovation, and the actors and processes that are part of “inclusive innovation” (e.g. Heeks et al 2014).
Nevertheless, with emerging economic changes as well as significant critiques of the concept, key concerns about inclusive innovation remain unanswered and require further conceptual and empirical examination. Key issues include (but are not limited to):
- Global environmental impacts that traverse borders. While innovation is suggested as a critical part of combating this, it can be top-down or poorly fitting to the needs of marginal groups or countries. Meanwhile, grassroots innovations remain ignored (e.g. Altenburg & Pegles 2012)
- The escalation of structural inequalities (including health), partly as a result of the pandemic that affect access and utility of innovations. How can inclusive innovation be governed in a way that meets broader needs? (e.g. Heeks 2022)
- Financial and credit divides are growing across countries/regions/communities. While significant new innovations have emerged (e.g. blockchains, e-payments), do these purport inclusivity?
- Discussion revolving around the ‘transfer of innovation or technologies’ across borders, and the extent to which these can be adapted to local settings, to be considered truly inclusive.
- Critiques of inclusive innovation from decolonial perspectives that suggest innovation concepts, even more inclusive ones, embed problematics assumptions and dismiss alternative visions of innovation and development from the global south (e.g. Jimenez et al 2022)
Overarchingly, this raises important questions such as:
- What does ‘inclusive’ innovation mean to people/regions?
- Under what conditions in inclusive innovation a successful model of development?
- What are the geographical and locational temporalities that affect different perspectives of inclusive innovation?
References
Altenburg, T., & Pegels, A. (2012). Sustainability-oriented innovation systems–managing the green transformation. Innovation and development, 2(1), 5-22.
Heeks, R., Foster, C., & Nugroho, Y. (2014). New models of inclusive innovation for development. Innovation and Development, 4(2), 175-185.
Heeks, R. (2022). Digital inequality beyond the digital divide: conceptualizing adverse digital incorporation in the global South. Information Technology for Development, 28(4), 688-704.
Jimenez, A., Delgado, D., Merino, R., & Argumedo, A. (2022). A decolonial approach to innovation? building paths towards Buen Vivir. The Journal of Development Studies, 58(9), 1633-1650.
ORGANISER
PARTNERS
SPONSORS
