NCIR legally and administratively hosts the Kenyan Hub of the International Centre for Frugal Innovation (ICFI). ICFI is a multi-disciplinary academic research centre founded in 2013 through a strategic alliance between three Dutch universities: Delft University of Technology, Leiden University and Erasmus University Rotterdam. Since its foundation in 2013, the Centre has grown into a multi-disciplinary community with members from all around the world, working together to gain a better understanding of the implications of frugal innovation.

ICFI multidisciplinary research themes and domains

ICFI engages in frugal innovation research on challenges relating to the interaction between Technology, Entrepreneurship and Development. In the coming years, ICFI will further spearhead activities in the domains of health, food, water and energy.

What is Frugal Innovation?

Frugal innovation entails developing products, services, business models and institutions using limited resources. It is aptly conceptualized as ‘doing more with less for more people’.

International hubs, clusters and networks

ICFI is expanding its international visibility and broadening its geographical scope by setting up locally embedded hubs, clusters and networks in:

  • Nairobi, Kenya
  • New Delhi, India
  • South Africa

The hubs and networks pursue activities in research, education and policy engagement with local partners and LDE researchers.

The first ICFI hub has been established in Nairobi, Kenya in early 2019.

Learn more:

ICFI Kenya Hub

ICFI Kenya was born in 2019, and from 2021, it was hosted by Nuvoni Centre for Innovation Research.  ICFI Kenya has been doing locally embedded academic research on innovation in resource-constrained settings in healthcare, water-energy and food since. ICFI investigates frugal innovation processes and their economic, social and environmental impacts. Our core strategic objective for the next years is to conduct more locally embedded research that addresses knowledge gaps and policy evidence gaps in Africa.

ICFI Kenya Hub projects hosted by Nuvoni

 

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