Tag Archives: Europe

Organization of a track on Frugal Innovation and Digitalization at RADMA 2021

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On July 7, the Institute for Technology and Innovation Management (TIM), via its Center for Frugal Innovation, co-organized a special track on the theme of “Frugal Innovation and Digitalization: Crossing Boundaries and Creating Impact” at the recently concluded R&D Management Conference 2021 (“RADMA”). RADMA took place in an online format in 2021 after its postponement in the previous year due to COVID19 related disruptions.

The track, which was originally proposed for 2020 was reactivated and fresh papers were invited from the scholarly community. A total of eight papers were accepted for presentation after a peer-review process. The following two papers with (co-)authorship of TIM scholars were presented at the conference:

(1) Morimura, Fumikazu / Tiwari, Rajnish / Herstatt, Cornelius: “Does frugal innovation matter in the COVID-19 crisis? An investigating into the impact on consumer resistance to home energy management system in Japan” (collaborative research with the University of Kobe, Prof. Morimura from the University of Kobe presented the paper).

(2) Tiwari, Rajnish / Buse, Stephan: “Promoting Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship with Frugal Means: An Investigation into the Role of Digital Transformation” (results drawn from the study conducted under the VISION project, presented by Dr. R. Tiwari).

This track was organized in a cross-institutional and cross-country collaborative project by Suchit Ahuja (Concordia University, Canada), Rajnish Tiwari (Hamburg University of Technology, Germany) and Stephanie Cadeddu (University of Montréal, Canada). The track was very well attended and led to insightful discussions.

Here are some slides used by Rajnish Tiwari for his opening remarks at the session. The tack was organized in partnership with OpenInnoTrain.

Report: 43 million Europeans lack food, 120 million at the verge of poverty

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A report on presstv.ir, based on a study by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies titled “Think differently: Humanitarian impacts of the economic crisis in Europe” states:

The Red Cross says that the financial crisis in Europe has left 43 million of its citizens with insufficient food to eat, calling it the worst humanitarian crisis over a half century.

Bekele Geleta, secretary general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) presented a report in Geneva on Thursday over the impacts of the economic crisis.

The report also showed that some 120 million Europeans face the risk of poverty and many continue to suffer in countries that are in the process of recovering financially.

“People’s lives have been thrown into turmoil and there seems to be a gradual degradation, with millions existing on a day-to-day basis, with no savings and no buffer to withstand any unforeseen expenses,” said Geleta and added, “Europe is facing its worst humanitarian crisis in six decades.”

Excerpted from: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/10/10/328709/43-million-people-lack-food-in-europe/ (Oct. 10, 2013)

Also see: “Five years on: The European economic crisis leaves a legacy of poverty”

Comment by Dr. Rajnish Tiwari

“What else if this does not document the need for affordable and ‘good enough’ products & services targeted at price-sensitive consumers? Companies need a rethink of their current business stratgies and innovation practices that are based on opulence, superfluousness, and planned obsolescence! Frugal innovations are not only meant for the emerging economies, we need them in Europe too, in the very heart of the industrialized world.”