WASHINGTON, D.C. — The International Development Innovation Alliance (IDIA), a collaboration platform managed by Results for Development, has published a new resource, Strengthening Innovation Ecosystems. This report builds on interviews and desk research to synthesize current learning around innovation ecosystem strengthening, and also provides a framework built around nine ecosystem goals to help actors align and coordinate their approaches.
There are many definitions of an “innovation ecosystem” in use today. But, in its broadest sense, a strong or successful ecosystem is commonly defined by its ability to mobilize actors, assets and relationships to provide a supportive enabling environment for innovation and social entrepreneurship to thrive. In practice, the approaches to ecosystem strengthening tend to fall along a continuum depending on which actors, assets or relationships they emphasize. On one end there are those that emphasize building the foundations for entrepreneurship and on the other there are those that are more mission-driven.
“Innovation ecosystems are essentially communities of global and local actors who collaborate to generate, test and scale solutions to a country’s challenges. But not all ecosystems have the resources or networks in place they need to function effectively. As such, a key part of R4D’s approach is to work with country change agents to identify and address gaps and weaknesses in local innovation ecosystems so that health, education and other systems can be effectively supported by a constant locally-driven stream of new solutions and partnerships,” said Tom Feeny, senior program director of R4D’s Innovation Practice. “We hope this new report, which we co-created with both IDIA members and country partners, will be useful to a wide range of actors as they seek to define their role and contribution in strengthening innovation ecosystems.”
Strengthening innovation ecosystems has been a continuous area of interest for IDIA, since its inception in 2015. In this paper, members of the IDIA Ecosystem Strengthening Working Group came together to pool knowledge and learning to help answer the question: “What are the most effective ways in which development agencies might strengthen innovation ecosystems?” and “How might we work together to accelerate local ecosystem priorities?”
This report presents the findings of that work and includes an analysis of current definitions of ecosystem strengthening approaches as well as insights and learning from consultations with IDIA agencies and innovation ecosystem actors in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
It also introduces a simple framework to help organize ecosystem strengthening interventions based around nine goals, including: 1) building human capital, 2) access to finance, 3) supportive markets and infrastructure, 4) policies and regulations, 5) innovation culture, 6) networking assets, 7) equitable and inclusive participation, 8) pathways to scale, and 9) mobilizing a collective approach.
For each goal, the framework in this paper unpacks:
- Typical challenges that may hinder the achievement of that goal within an ecosystem.
- Strengthening strategies to mitigate or resolve those challenges.
- Ecosystem actors that are likely to have the most influence or capacity with regard to achieving that goal.
- Insights from IDIA members and partners involved with ecosystem strengthening.
- Resources for further reading.
The report was officially launched in partnership with the Government of Ghana as part of its Ghana Digital Innovation Week in November 2021.
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About the International Development Innovation Alliance (IDIA)
IDIA is a unique collaboration platform that brings together the senior leadership from the innovation teams, labs and departments of some of the world’s leading development agencies with the shared goal of “actively promoting and advancing innovation as a means to help achieve sustainable development.” IDIA is committed to the development of new products, services and ways of working ensuring that the lessons arising from both success and failure can be disseminated to inform the adaptation and scaling of innovations within different countries, populations and contexts. In partnership with in-country actors, IDIA is dedicated to identifying and developing models and approaches for strengthening the efficiency and effectiveness of local ecosystems to enable innovation to flourish. For more information visit www.idiainnovation.org
About Results for Development
Results for Development (R4D) is a leading non-profit global development partner. We collaborate with change agents — government officials, civil society leaders and social innovators — supporting them as they navigate complex change processes to achieve large-scale, equitable outcomes in health, education and nutrition. We work with country leaders to diagnose challenges, co-create, innovate and implement solutions built on evidence and diverse stakeholder input, and engage in learning to adapt, iterate and improve. We also strengthen global, regional and country ecosystems to support country leaders with expertise, evidence, and innovations. R4D helps country leaders solve their immediate challenges today, while also strengthening systems and institutions to address tomorrow’s challenges. And we share what we learn so others around the world can achieve results for development, too. www.R4D.org
