Inclusive Innovation Research Articles

Does digital service trade promote inclusive domestic growth? – Empirical research of 46 countries

AbstractThis study utilises panel data of 46 countries from 2005 to 2019 to examine the impact of digital service trade (DST) on inclusive growth. Inclusive growth is a growth model that promotes economic growth and development, while also building social equity and inclusiveness and balancing environmental sustainability. The findings indicate that a nation’s DST development significantly fosters domestic economic growth and development, specifically through its employment enhancement effect. DST substantially promotes social equity and inclusiveness, mainly through the inclusive innovation effect. However, DST is also found to increase carbon emissions, impeding environmentally sustainable growth, specifically via the energy demand effect. Hence, DST exerts diverse impacts on different facets of inclusiveness. The study also reveals heterogeneity in the effects of DST on the three aspects of inclusive growth related to trade’s import–export dynamics, income levels, and DST barrier intensities. This paper contributes to and refines the body of research on the relationship between DST and inclusive growth. It offers policy suggestions for crafting more open and mutually beneficial DST policies to foster social equity and inclusive global trade.

Responsible coordination of municipal health and care services for individuals with serious mental illness: a participatory qualitative study with service users and professionals

BackgroundCare coordination is crucial to ensure the health of individuals with serious mental illness. The aim of this study was to describe and analyze an inclusive innovation process for coordinating municipal health and care services for individuals with serious mental illness.MethodsWe conducted café dialogues with professionals and service users with serious mental illness. The café dialogues engaged participants in conversation and knowledge exchange about care coordination, adressing topics of efficiency, challenges, and improvement. We used a responsible innovation framework to analyze the innovation process.ResultsResponsible coordination requires promoting service users’ health and ensuring communication and mutual awareness between professionals. Individual-level factors supporting responsible coordination included service users knowing their assigned professionals, personalized healthcare services, and access to meaningful activities. Provider-level factors included effective coordination routines, communication, information exchange, and professional familiarity. Results reflect professionals’ and service users’ perspectives on efficient care coordination, existing challenges, and measures to improve care coordination.ConclusionCafé dialogues are an inclusive, participatory method that can produce insights into the responsible coordination of municipal health and care services for individuals with serious mental illness. The responsible innovation framework is helpful in identifying care coordination challenges and measures for responsible coordination.

Inclusive innovation stems from environmental communication scholarship

Inclusive innovation stems from environmental communication scholarship

Towards an evaluation framework for inclusive technological innovation in social and health care services

With the COVID-19 pandemic came an influx of digital technologies introduced into the care home sector. Many care homes were not ready for digital changes, and subsequently, the inclusivity of these innovations was variable. We develop a holistic evaluation framework to assess the inclusivity of service innovations, including the well-being of care home residents and employees. We adopt a mixed methods approach using the ‘non-adoption, abandonment, and challenges to scale-up, spread, and sustainability − complexity assessment toolkit’ (NASSS-CAT) to evaluate the introduction of tablet computers into care homes across Scotland and assess the inclusivity of the innovation. The paper offers a theoretical synthesis by indicating how the seven dimensions of the NASSS-CAT can evaluate the six stages of the ladder of inclusive innovation. Results specify how the care home sector could be more inclusive of its residents and staff by co-creating innovation, developing staff training, and supporting the well-being/activities coordinators.

Educational Innovation in the 21st Century

In the current educational context, teachers face the challenge of adapting their teaching methods to the new generations of students, who are more familiar with technology and have special educational needs. This article analyzes the crucial role of teachers throughout history and highlights the importance of being resilient, innovative, and promoters of inclusive innovation. It explores the use of gamification, artificial intelligence (AI) and art as essential tools in teaching practice, which enrich and transform the educational process. Gamification, for example, promotes active participation and student engagement using game elements in the classroom. On the other hand, AI could personalize learning experiences and offer immediate feedback, redefining the concept of the traditional classroom. In addition, the arts awaken students' creativity and sensitivity, encouraging critical thinking and enriching learning. The integration of these tools is presented to ensure sustainable learning adapted to the individual needs of each student.

Ex-ante priority setting in crop breeding: Towards inclusive innovation for impact

CONTEXTCrop breeding teams should ideally work a-priori to rank research priorities and varietal product concepts to make decisions considering social, environmental, production and market conditions that an improved crop variety will be entering upon release. Frequently, this research prioritization is guided by a cost-benefit optimization framing, which leaves the potential derived by alternative approaches, such as inclusive innovation, unexplored. OBJECTIVEIn this study, we apply PEEP (Participatory Ex-ante framework for Plant breeding), a new methodological framework for ex-ante participatory priority setting for plant breeding programs. This framework explores how, given a set of hypothetical crop varieties (varietal product concepts) it is possible to assess which will have the highest potential to deliver research impacts. PEEP is designed to support crop breeders to understand the impact potential of a new varietal product concept, and strategically make decisions based on this. METHODSPEEP ranks varietal product concepts across five impact domains: breeding, processing, marketing, climate, and cross-cutting themes. This paper reports on how an interdisciplinary breeding team from the Institute of Environment and Agricultural Research (INERA) in Burkina Faso working on cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp) applied PEEP and discusses the results from this application. We chose cowpea as a crop focus, based on prior research that showed that gender and social differences shape roles, responsibilities, and benefits from its cultivation in Burkina Faso. We engaged 650 stakeholders using tools and methods (choice experiment, surveys and focus group discussions) tailored to collect information according to their spheres of knowledge. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSWe present a reflection on the application process, results, and feedback from the INERA cowpea breeding team on these. We show that breeders and farmers ranked the potential impact of the varietal product concepts differently. We also show that differences in evaluation of impact from varietal product concepts vary based on market orientation, agroecological zones, farming systems and gender. SIGNIFICANCEWe demonstrate that PEEP contributes to inclusive agricultural innovation as a feasible method to consider the knowledge and preferences of diverse stakeholders. We show that it is informative to include diverse groups when conceptualizing new varieties before investing in varietal development. Making such research prioritization decisions early on enables breeding programs to avoid “missing the mark” on assumed impacts on smallholder women and men farmers and increases their visibility and voice in these upstream decisions.

Advancing inclusive innovation policy in the UK’s second-tier city-regions

The UK exhibits stark regional economic divides which have been a long running concern for policymakers. With the levelling up agenda taking shape, city-regions in the UK are developing innovation and business support policies in seeking to deliver on a range of goals from traditional productivity concerns to wider social and environmental imperatives. Drawing on interviews with key actors in the city-regions of Cardiff, Manchester and Glasgow, this paper points to an emerging directional change in innovation policy, yet we show that capacities to articulate and implement an inclusive innovation approach vary widely. The uneven landscape for innovation policy within each of the city-regions, in terms of the location of innovation assets but also the varied institutional and social legacies shaping innovation policy, is also brought into view. Central to the reshaping of innovation policy in all cases, however, are agents working in networks, fashioning narratives and marshalling data in efforts to mobilise new ways of practicing innovation policy within what remains a centralised approach to sub-national economic development.

Climate services for agriculture: Steering towards inclusive innovation in Australian climate services design and delivery

CONTEXTClimate services are integral to climate change adaptation in agriculture. Inclusive innovation prioritises inclusion of marginalised actors, grassroots knowledge and accessibility of use. Yet many innovation processes are multi-stakeholder, complex and may not prioritise inclusion from the outset. In these circumstances, researchers and designers may seek to influence existing projects towards greater inclusivity. OBJECTIVESThis paper explores efforts to increase the inclusivity of existing innovation processes, focusing on the design of My Climate View, an online Australian climate services platform for agriculture. Findings relate to contemporary issues in inclusive innovation literature, including: (1) Who should be included in innovation processes (within given resourcing)?; (2) How requirements for inclusion or exclusion can emerge through the design and use of a technology; and (3) The influence of program level structures upon inclusivity and design. METHODSOur approach is informed by Responsible Innovation and Inclusive Innovation theory and enacted through user-centred design. Findings are synthesised from analysis of 60 semi-structured interviews with farmers, advisors and extension officers. We additionally draw on observations as researchers in the multi-actor My Climate View development team, where extensive engagement separate to research activities has included agricultural and Indigenous stakeholders. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONEngaging with a broad sample of potential target users enabled diverse and sometimes unexpected use cases. Customisation of interface parameters allowed the incorporation of tacit knowledge and positively affected the inclusivity of My Climate View, extending the value of the platform to growers of niche commodities outside of the original scope. Inclusivity in innovation can be impacted by diverse factors, including design team decisions, structural factors, budget and external factors. Requirements for inclusion and exclusion can emerge and evolve throughout a design process, supporting Responsible Innovation's framing of inclusivity alongside principles of reflexivity and responsiveness. SIGNIFICANCEThe findings enrich the evidence base for climate services and broader agricultural technology development processes by providing insights for those seeking greater impact by practicing inclusivity in innovation. We provide four implications for increasing inclusivity in the design of climate services: (1) Maximising customisation and avoiding prescriptive interpretation enables greater flexibility of use; (2) Sampling broadly within target users to uncover unanticipated values and opportunities for inclusion and exclusion; (3) It is important to embed efforts towards inclusion alongside processes of reflexivity; and (4) Responsible and inclusive approaches to climate services design are valuable even if brought in once development has commenced.

Reforming Digital Trade Rules at the WTO: Clarifying E-Commerce Regulation Policy Space for Economic Inclusion

Purpose: The purpose is to critically analyze the challenges and opportunities associated with reforming digital trade rules at the WTO, in order to explore the implications of ambiguous language and propose new principles and interpretative guidance to refine the rules.
 Methodology: The methodology involves analysis of ambiguous language in existing WTO agreements and proposed e-commerce rules, examination of influence on domestic digital sector capacity, case studies of digital industrial policies and technology regulations, and a proposal for new principles and interpretative guidance.
 Findings: The key findings are that ambiguity allows powerful tech giants to contest policies, impacts nurturing of domestic digital sector capacity, and burdens emerging markets. Case studies illustrate tensions around policy space for inclusive innovation.
 Unique contribution to theory, policy and practice: The unique contributions are the proposal of new principles to refine digital trade rules, development of interpretative guidance to affirm regulatory autonomy rights, and comparison with past WTO pharmaceutical patent waivers debate to emphasize need for adaptive and inclusive regulatory frameworks. Recommendations focus on promoting economic inclusion, innovation, competitiveness, and collaborative approaches in the digital era.

External boundary permeability and inclusive innovation: the moderating role of dual governance

ABSTRACT Inclusive innovation offers opportunities to improve the well-being of the bottom of the pyramid (BOP). However, our understanding of effective strategies to promote inclusive innovation remains limited. According to organisational information processing theory (OIPT), this study investigates the impact of external boundary permeability on firm inclusive innovation and examines the moderating role of dual governance. Using survey data from 217 Chinese manufacturing firms, we test our hypotheses. The results show that external boundary permeability has a positive impact on both symbolic and substantive inclusive innovation. Moreover, the joint effect of contractual and relational governance strengthens the positive impact of external boundary permeability on both forms of inclusive innovation. This study enriches the literature on inter-organisational collaboration and inclusive innovation by offering new insights into the role of external boundary permeability in facilitating inclusive innovation.

Land-based cooperation for alternative livelihoods in Laos: Case studies of Chinese agricultural companies

The eradication of illicit drug crops in developing countries through international agricultural cooperation in alternative livelihoods is a new mode of clean production. This paper examines the market-oriented alternative livelihood (AL) model implemented by Chinese agricultural companies in Laos, focusing on land-based cooperation between these companies, local authorities, and communities. It aims to reveal the conditions for successful land-based cooperation and mutual trust building with local communities and government agencies. Three Chinese companies involved in alternative cultivation projects in Laos are selected as case studies. The findings highlight the market-oriented AL model as a beneficial approach to transition from illicit crop cultivation to clean production. The study emphasizes the importance of land-based cooperation and trust building for the sustainable operation of market-oriented alternative livelihoods. Challenges faced by the companies include managing international market risks and developing locally-led technical and management teams. The research underscores the need for inclusive innovation in land-based cooperation and alternative livelihoods in the Global South. It calls for further exploration of innovative approaches to inclusive cooperation, local empowerment, and capacity building. The study contributes to understanding the potential of international agricultural cooperation in promoting alternative livelihoods and sustainable development in illicit crop-growing regions.

Spatial distribution of bioeconomy R&D funding: opportunities for rural and lagging regions?

ABSTRACT The promotion of R&D carries the risk that economically strong regions will benefit to a greater extent and that regional disparities will increase by focusing the economy on high technology. However, this is expected to depend on the specific sectoral and technological composition of R&D funding. R&D funding for a bio-based economy in Germany is particularly illustrative for a shift in funding focus from a narrow concept of biotechnology to a broader concept of bioeconomy. Along with this shift, an impact on the spatial distribution of R&D funding is assumed. Against the background of inclusive innovation policy, this study examines the potential of the bioeconomy for a reduction of regional disparities in public R&D funding. Based on a database containing publicly-funded R&D projects in Germany and further regional data, comparative regressions are conducted in order to identify spatial patterns. The results demonstrate distinct funding mechanisms in the different areas of the bioeconomy. The broadening of R&D funding for bio-based activities from the biotechnology vision towards bioresources and bioecology leads to a greater participation of rural and lagging regions which is expected to be the result of the inclusion of more traditional industries as recipients of R&D funding.

Inclusive Innovation in Tunisia Main Challenges and Policies Implemented

Inclusive innovation is a concept of including marginalized groups in innovation processes in order to reduce economic and social inequalities. In Tunisia, inclusive innovation is seen as a way to stimulate economic growth and create jobs. However, inclusive innovation in Tunisia faces challenges such as weak innovation capacities, lack of funding, lack of coordination between different actors and lack of data on the impact of inclusive innovation. To overcome these challenges, several measures have been put in place, including the creation of structures dedicated to inclusive innovation, the development of specific policies and programs, the involvement of local actors and international cooperation. Also, it is necessary to initiate additional measures, to further encourage inclusive innovation in Tunisia such as improving access to finance for inclusive innovation initiatives, strengthening innovation capacities, improving coordination between different actors and collecting data on the impact of inclusive innovation. In sum, inclusive innovation can have a positive impact on the Tunisian economy by reducing inequalities and promoting economic growth.

INNOVATIONOLOGY: A GOUNDBREAKING TRANSDISCIPLINARY FRAMEWORK FOR SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA

The development landscape in Africa has been shaped by persistent challenges and unmet aspirations, with traditional, top-down approaches frequently failing to address the complex, context-specific needs and potentials of African societies. In response to this, the innovationology paradigm, a pioneering transdisciplinary framework, has emerged as a promising new approach to driving sustainable and equitable development across the continent. This article presents a comprehensive exploration of the innovationology framework, drawing on rigorous qualitative analyses to demonstrate its transformative potential. Through in-depth case studies, the study unpacks the key components, theoretical underpinnings, and practical applications of innovationology, highlighting its capacity to empower marginalized communities, foster collaborative innovation, and catalyze systemic change. The findings reveal the multifaceted ways in which innovationology-informed initiatives have addressed pressing development challenges, such as access to clean water, sustainable agriculture, inclusive entrepreneurship, maternal and child health, and renewable energy, across diverse African contexts. Importantly, the article underscores the versatility of the innovationology approach in leveraging virtual and online platforms to overcome logistical and infrastructural barriers, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. By synthesizing the theoretical foundations, empirical insights, and critical success factors, the article presents an integrated conceptual model that offers a comprehensive, transdisciplinary framework for understanding the transformative potential of innovationology. The implications of this framework are farreaching, as it challenges traditional development models, champions frugal and inclusive innovation, encourages transdisciplinary collaboration, and embraces decolonial and postcolonial praxis. The study's findings have significant implications for the development discourse and practice in Africa, with the potential to reshape trajectories towards more sustainable, equitable, and self-determined pathways. By pursuing future research and implementation directions, the innovationology paradigm can continue to evolve, adapt, and contribute to the realization of a more inclusive and prosperous future for the African continent.

The high-end bias - A decision-maker preference for premium over economy innovations

Deciding which new product concepts to develop is an important strategic management decision. One part of it is to decide whether to develop “premium” products, priced above the average product on the market, or “economy” products, priced lower than the average product on the market. We hypothesize that, ceteris paribus, firms and individual decision makers prefer premium over economy innovation projects. Building on implicit attitude and status discrimination theories, we argue that the origin of the bias lies in the implicit decision-making system of the mind, such that decision-makers inherently prefer premium innovations and that this implicit high-end bias affects their explicit preferences. We use the results from one longitudinal set of archival sales data covering 2312 new product introductions and three experimental studies with decision makers, including practicing managers, to provide evidence for the high-end bias. With these findings, we extend status theory as well as discrimination theory from well researched personnel decisions to managerial decisions about inanimate objects such as product concepts. We further augment literature on low-end innovation by identifying an important constraint for managers and researchers who work on inclusive innovation, frugal innovation, social responsibility, and Base of the Pyramid innovation.

A Tale of Two Perspectives on Innovation and Global Equity

Both science and technology studies (STS) and innovation studies (IS) see great promise for technology to address global inequality, but they view it quite differently. This article compares the two approaches and examines whether and how they might learn from one another to achieve social equity and justice. To do this, I focus on the case of menstrual health innovation in India, an intervention highly praised as a clear example of potentially transformative “inclusive innovation.” The article argues that IS would benefit from understanding innovation as a sociotechnical system and taking the political dimensions seriously. Meanwhile, we STS scholars should learn to translate our grassroots-based, locally-sensitive solutions to policymakers oriented towards scalability.

The Role of Science and Technology in Vikshit Bharat: Building a New Paradigm for India’s Growth

Visit Bharat, the vision of a developed India by 2047, hinges on a transformative role for science and technology (S&T). This paper explores the critical areas where S&T can act as a catalyst for progress, addressing challenges and unlocking opportunities across various sectors. It examines the current S&T landscape in India, identifies strengths and weaknesses, and proposes a roadmap for fostering a robust and inclusive innovation ecosystem. By analyzing successful case studies and international best practices, the paper outlines key strategies for promoting research, development, and deployment of cutting-edge technologies, emphasizing affordability, accessibility, and sustainability. Finally, it underscores the importance of building human capital, fostering public-private partnerships, and strengthening the overall S&T governance framework to realize the full potential of S&T in shaping Viksit Bharat.

Fintech innovation for financial inclusion: can India make it?

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the key research question, which is whether fintech innovation for financial inclusion has been successful in India? As fintech has been popular in many countries, there is very little understanding on how successful it has performed in India for financial inclusion. This research attempts to ravel important factors that may or may not have a direct or indirect impact on fintech innovation for financial inclusion, thereby dissecting the empirical data to reveal important information for the reader. Design/methodology/approach This study covers a comprehensive literature review, from which key variables are discovered, then develops hypotheses to be examined, followed by proposing a research model. The survey data examines important research instruments for fintech inclusion in India, identifying and measuring factors, leading to partial least squares (PLS) model testing. Finally, the key findings are reported. Findings The findings reveal that fintech innovation from variables such as users experience and motivation for digital payments drives usefulness and ease of use leading to financial inclusion. The security, trust, transparency and customer support when built into the fintech innovation for digital payments influences perceived ease of use (PEOU) and usefulness that mediates to uplift financial inclusion directly. Whereas perceived usefulness (PU) anchoring happens to be a precursor for the financial inclusion. On the contrary, cultural values for fintech innovation through PEOU and usefulness had no impact whatsoever on financial inclusion, thus demystifying cultural influences as non-influential factor. Research limitations/implications Research limitations are that the study was conducted in India, and may not be generalised in other countries; however, it can be modified to fit future research. Survey data captured was from a particular region of South India, which may differ from the rest of the country. The sample size and research period were adequate; however, larger data sets would be more meaningful for longitudinal studies. As India is the second most populous country in the world, a comparison with other similar countries of the same size and geographical location will be useful for future research. Practical implications This research reveals that financial inclusion is much more complex than previously known and that the penetration of fintech has the capacity to go deeper and include a large number of people into the mainstream financial system and ameliorate the inequities in urban-rural gender and caste. The user’s experience, culture and motivations positively influenced the usefulness and ease of use for driving the financial inclusion of digital payments. Further security, trust, transparency and customer support can facilitate the use of central bank digital currency (CBDC) as a tool for financial inclusion. Social implications Fintech innovation for financial inclusion is based on the successful acceptance of the digital payment system by people in the society. This research has identified that for any fintech innovation, it is essential that society needs to benefit from it. Encouraging a larger population to switch to digital payments offer challenges and opportunities. While the opportunities are enormous research suggests that early adopters of new technology go through different phases of testing, in which a society can completely accept an innovation or can completely reject an innovation if the two mediating factors such as PU and ease of use do not perform as predicted, thus having a higher failure rate. On the other side, if such an innovation as fintech becomes successful it has the capacity to bring billions of people into mainstream financial inclusion, a success story that can greatly benefit the Indian society and which can be replicated among other countries in the world. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first attempt in an effort to understand the influential factors from the point of view of users for the adoption of CBDC for financial inclusion. The main contribution of this paper is to examine the role of CBDC as an instrument to foster financial inclusion in India, which has not been attempted so far. The originality also lies to the heart of the research is dissecting and making meaningful sense of the empirical data, developing and measuring research instruments and hypotheses and finally adopting a PLS model to answer the key research question, which is whether fintech innovation for financial inclusion can be successful for India?

Research on the Spillover Effects of Digital Transformation on the Sustainable Growth of Green Schools

The development of society and the advancement of science and technology have led to the widespread integration of digital transformation in the field of education. However, the current establishment of green schools faces various challenges, including non-environmental building facilities, high renovation costs, low organizational management efficiency, high energy consumption, outdated office tools, and insufficient environmental awareness among teachers and students. Through thorough research and analysis, it becomes evident that digital technology can play a pivotal role in addressing these challenges and contribute to all aspects of green school establishment. The incorporation of digital thinking concepts is essential for the construction of ecologically civilized campuses and inclusive innovation. The process of digital design and transformation proves instrumental in optimizing both software and hardware facilities within the campus, thereby reducing energy consumption. Simultaneously, comprehensive digital teaching management enhances overall efficiency in management and service delivery. Innovative digital teaching and learning models emerge as transformative tools, providing new avenues to create low-carbon, green classrooms for both teachers and students. By exploring the application of digital transformation in establishing green schools and examining the resulting spillover effects, valuable insights can be gained. These insights, in turn, serve as reference points for building diversified digital technology paths on campus and fostering the creation of green schools.

Legal Challenges for International Fintech Startups

Financial technology (Fintech) startups looking to scale globally often face complex regulations across jurisdictions inhibiting market access and rapid customer adoption. This research investigates legal obstacles frequently encountering international Fintech platforms through qualitative research methods. It aims to highlight recurring concerns like data sovereignty, interoperability, licensing barriers and talent acquisition issues for innovators attempting multi-country service availability. Though results indicate regulatory principles remain largely unharmonized currently, recommendations urge sectoral cooperation advancing unified standards spanning data management, oversight rules and open banking architectures. Phasing proportionate need-based compliances and controlled sandboxes can enable clearer policy signaling benefiting responsibly expanding startups. Effective policy incentives and dispute assistance schemes may ease market entry and sustain trust lacking today. However, truly unraveling Fintech possibilities requires expediting progressive, agile and internationally integrated legal systems protecting consumers while fostering inclusive innovation ecosystems.