Scaling up inclusive innovations

This chapter reviews the possible contributions of inclusive innovation, i.e. innovations that support the welfare and entrepreneurship opportunities of lower-income and excluded groups. It describes how several trends, ranging from the widespread uptake of mobile telephony to growing business interest in inclusive innovations, have created more favourable conditions for inclusive innovation. It explores the obstacles and market failures facing inclusive innovations across four dimensions: 1) the types and costs of inclusive innovations 2) information about consumer needs 3) access to expertise, knowledge and finance and 4) market access conditions. Based on this description, it provides an overview of factors that facilitate scaling up inclusive innovations.