-
Siemens SMARTly Designs Products for Emerging Markets, Will Others Follow?
SMART products (simple, maintenance-friendly, affordable, reliable and timely-to-market) have now become a primary focus for Siemens. The focus on local markets has led to breakthrough innovations in products such as X-ray machines, medical devices, and water treatment products. After three years, the company is now beginning to see the fruits of its efforts.
- Categories
- Education
- Tags
- product design, research
-
From Potential to Market – the Microinsurance Explosion
The new microinsurance compendium, published six years after the initial volume, is an impressive effort of the microinsurance sector to reflect its progress and lessons learned over time. The total number of “risks covered” has increased from just 78 in 2006 to 500 million in 2011, but the story behind that growth is nuanced.
- Categories
- Education
- Tags
- research
-
The Big Idea: Domestic Remittances in Africa – Demand is There, Will the Teleco’s Step Up?
Our team added a module of over 30 questions on payments to the Gallup World Poll in 8 countries (1,000 respondents each were queried in Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria, Rwanda, D.R. Congo, Zambia, and Kenya). Questions in the module assessed respondents’ payment behaviors through services such as money transfers, international remittances, government and wage payments, and utilities and other bills.
- Categories
- Education
- Tags
- research
-
McGraw-Hill Research Foundation Policy Paper Shows How Social Entrepreneurship Provides Innovative Solutions to Global Education
In the last decade, social entrepreneurship has been touted as one of the most promising ways to solve some of the world's problematic issues. How Social Entrepreneurship is Helping to Improve Education Worldwide, a McGraw-Hill Research Foundation policy paper, outlines specific ways in which social enterprise is improving education in the U.S. and in developing countries.
- Categories
- Education
- Tags
- research
-
Powering Up: WBCSD Details Business Victories for Clean Energy Access
Addressing the lack of access to clean, reliable and affordable energy services for billions of people is one of the world’s most critical development challenges. The new World Business Council for Sustainable Development Access to Energy initiative highlights business solutions to enable energy access for all and demonstrates clearly how business is already expanding access to clean, reliable and affordable energy services for poor customers.
- Categories
- Education, Energy, Environment
- Tags
- renewable energy, research
-
Growing Up Fast, What the Dalberg Survey Tells Us About Successful Social Entrepreneurs
Want to find out what made the good enterprises great - and not just in anecdotal form? Dalberg Global Development Advisors clearly thought so. Working with Harvard, the consulting firm polled more than 60 social entreprenurs to find out how they lept the hurdles that every venture faces. Check out the survey and a replay of the live webinar.
- Categories
- Education, Social Enterprise
- Tags
- impact investing, research, scale
-
Good News: IRIS Report Shows Many Impact Investing Recipients Are Profitable; But More Study Needed
The first Impact Reporting and Investment Standards (IRIS) performance data report collected data from nearly 2,400 mission-driven organizations, with 70% of responding microfinance institutions and 63% of portfolio organizations reporting profits. As importantly, the report adds to data-driven market intelligence for the impact investing industry.
- Categories
- Education
- Tags
- impact investing, research
-
The 2012 ‘Doing Business’ Report: A Traveler’s Guide
Access to credit, reliable electricity, reasonable tax codes and other factors key to a business’s long-term success?for better or worse?often lies with a country?s government. The World Bank ranks these factors in its annual Doing Business Report. This year?s survey also provided intriguing insights for developing world entrepreneurs.
- Categories
- Education
Subscribe to Our 'Business in Global Development' Newsletter!
Our new weekly LinkedIn newsletter features NextBillion's latest original articles, along with curated news, jobs, bizdev opportunities and events from our recent coverage of impact-focused business in emerging markets.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.