What is the role that connections can play in helping green technology entrepreneurs innovate and scale up in developing countries, so as to inform the design of new public sector programs? Based on a review of the recent literature and 14 case studies of different programs, public programs aimed at supporting green technology entrepreneurs should: (i) place the entrepreneur at the center of the innovation process; (ii) seek to cement peer-to-peer connections at the local level (e.g. by setting up networks of entrepreneurs); and (iii) help entrepreneurs connect to supranational networks and technology brokering platforms at the global level.
Related Case Studies
The Climate Technology Program Brief: Adapting Global Entrepreneurship Acceleration Models to Clean Tech in Developing Countries - The Ghana Climate Innovation Center is showing that a business development model that grew out of Silicon Valley can be applied to clean technology business incubation in developing countries.
The Climate Technology Program Brief: Bringing Climate Opportunities to Entrepreneurs - Lessons Learned from the Caribbean Climate Innovation Center draws lessons from the center’s operation, focusing on how the idea generation sessions were essential to seed local companies with climate related business opportunities and introduce new ideas to local climate markets.
The Climate Technology Program Brief: Creating a Hub, Creating a Buzz - How to Attract the Best and Brightest for Climate Innovation in Developing Countries examines lessons from the World Bank’s seven Climate Innovation Centers on setting up buzzworthy hubs to attract top talent and companies in emerging clean tech markets.
The Climate Technology Program Brief: The Kenya Climate Innovation Center - How it Operates and Lessons for Clean Technology Incubation shares the Kenya Climate Innovation Center’s operating model as it has evolved after four years of operations.