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The World’s Next Factory Won’t Be in South Asia
Faced with rising costs, Chinese manufacturers must decide whether to invest in labor-saving automation technologies or to relocate.
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- manufacturing
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Designing for Social Good, Not ‘Feel Good’
Designing products for multinational corporations and their affluent target markets is very different from designing products for low-income, rural consumers. Jordan Westerberg, industrial designer with social venture development firm Factor[e], has worked in both of these worlds. He discusses a recent project that redesigned a solar conduction dryer for Indian farmers, and cautions against being drawn to simplistic, feel-good products when designing for social impact.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Social Enterprise, Technology
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Chennai’s Drought Has Tough Lessons for Asia’s Economies
When foreign companies ponder investing in emerging markets, they tend to pay attention to a relatively narrow range of factors and regulations which affect their ability to do business. India's water problems are now sufficiently dire to merit inclusion in that list.
- Categories
- Environment, WASH
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- manufacturing
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The Challenges of Going Local: A Medical Device Innovator Faces the Reality of Manufacturing in Rural Africa
Like many enterprises working in emerging markets, Noor Medical wanted to manufacture its product locally. As COO Andrew Bonneau explains, a local approach promised many advantages, from lower costs to a better understanding of its customers. But the company soon learned that manufacturing in developing countries like Uganda is often easier said than done. Bonneau discusses the obstacles the company has faced, and how they've overcome them.
- Categories
- Health Care, Social Enterprise, Technology
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Beyond ‘Take-Make-Waste’ Supply Chains: MIT Solve Seeks Circular Economy Solutions
Most of the products we use today — clothing, furniture, electronics and more — come from “take-make-waste” linear supply chains. These systems result in 2 billion tons of solid waste each year, produce major carbon emissions, and often involve toxic working conditions. MIT Solve is seeking new models through its Circular Economy Challenge, which will give $10,000 grants to the eight most promising solutions - the application deadline is July 1.
- Categories
- Environment, Transportation
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What Needs to Change in the Indian Medical Devices Ecosystem for Innovators, Entrepreneurs and Patients
In India, imported products account for 80% of medical device sales, and most were developed for middle and high-income countries – far from India’s unique challenges of accessibility and affordability. In recent years, thousands of startups and innovators have emerged to build more affordable public health products. But Dhruv Pandey at Social Alpha writes that government and financing challenges will stop these innovators in their tracks unless entrepreneurs can find alternate paths.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Tags
- manufacturing
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Viewpoint: How 3-D Printing Can Jumpstart Developing Economies
3D printing has one more advantage in developing countries. Because additive production is entirely digitized, it’s easier for entrepreneurs to monitor and optimize the various steps in the manufacturing process.
- Categories
- Technology
- Tags
- manufacturing
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Rwanda Is Set To Open Africa’s First Smartphone Factory In April 2019
Paula Ingabire, Rwanda’s minister for information and communications technology (ICT) and innovation, announced that a smartphone manufacturing plant will be opened in Rwanda by Mara Corporation.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- manufacturing
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