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Learn about creating sustainable businesses in the knowledge economy, fostering innovation and competitiveness among SMEs, and the impact of social networking in Nepal. Discover examples of mobile platforms, mentorship programs, and initiatives supporting job creation and poverty reduction.
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Forum on the Mobile Ecosystem in Nepal: Perspectives from other communities December 12, 2011 Maja Andjelkovic infoDev / The World Bank Group
PARTNERSHIP • INNOVATION, TECHNOLOGY, and ENTERPRENERUSHIP • INCLUSIVE GROWTH, JOB CREATION, POVERTY REDUCTION • JOBS, CAPACITY, SKILLS, ACCESS TO FINANCE AND MARKETS, ENABLING POLICY AND REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT, TEST INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
Creating Sustainable Businesses in the Knowledge Economy (CSBKE) Finland, Nokia, infoDev partnership • Encourage innovation and competitiveness among SMEs in the information and communication technologies and agribusiness sectors 5 mLabs (incubators): Armenia, Kenya, Pakistan, South Africa, Vietnam 7(+1) mHubs (social networks): Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Nepal, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Georgia, Vietnam
Kenya • 40 million people • 25 million mobile subscribers (62.5%) • Largest group of users earns less than USD 40 per month (one-third are students) • Second biggest income bracket is over USD 90 per month • In 2009, Airtel Kenya (Bharti) led price war saw drop in prices from Sh8 per minute to Sh3 • Most popular handsets: Nokia, LG, Samsung; very low smart phone penetration • Developer focus: PHP, Java, (Symbian), mobile web • Landscape changing (price, offerings, technology-> ecosystem)
Why Social Networking? • Quickly innovating industry • Disruptive change provides opportunities for small and young firms more entrepreneurship • Formal information sharing channels don’t yet exist • Informal networking builds trust, social capital, access to knowledge, finance and resources
Examples of social networking meeting themes • Writing secure apps (Kenya) • Open data, mapping & Open Government (Tanzania) • Battle of the Mobile Platforms (Tanzania, Georgia) • Mobiles for Learning (Uganda) • Innovative use of Mobiles in Marketing and Advertising • State of Mobile Banking and Payments in Tanzania • SiliconValleyto Dar-es-Salaam Mentorship
Creating Sustainable Businesses in the Knowledge Economy AkiraChix: Kenya Mobile Social Networking Hub • Kenyan based AkiraChix aims to develop a successful female workforce in technology in East Africa • CSBKE supports Mobile Garage, a competition for mobile apps developers. Objective of competition: • Create a social networking hub • Encourage the creation of mobile applications • Create a competition for ideas to encourage entrepreneurship • Establish mentorship for developers
Creating Sustainable Businesses in the Knowledge Economy M-Farm Ltd: Women-led business pioneering social networking for farmers • M-Farm is run by JamilaAbass and utilizes mobile technologies to provide agricultural information to farmers in rural Kenya • M-Farm is one of 20 SMEs to receive Access to Markets and Finance award at 2011 infoDev Global Forum in Helsinki • InfoDev will work closely with winning SMEs to grow their businesses M-Farm founder JamilaAbass
High Growth Incubation (CRC Topica) • Intensive services for 3-4months • Not necessarily within walls (eg. weekly meetings only) • Goal: angel funding / venture capital • Success sharing • 3-7% royalties on gross sales • 6-15% equity • E.g.NZ, India, Practical Action Sri Lanka • Incubators having their own seed funds • E.g. NZ, India (Technology Development Board) • or formal links to 3rd party finance