Innovation
Successful Approaches To Innovations In Challenging Times
By Chris Githaiga
Crises that have hit the world over the last few years such as the Coronavirus ( Covid-19 ), the Russian-Ukraine war , global recession and even climate change have seen very many innovations come to life .
Indeed , the adage , ‘ necessity is the mother of all inventions ’, couldn ’ t have been explained much better than by author and management consultant Margaret Wheatley who surmised : “ The things we fear most in organizations - fluctuations , disturbances , imbalances - are the primary sources of creativity .”
Across East Africa , for instance , the resulting health , social and economic challenges from Covid-19 saw a wave of innovations especially in informal settlements , rural areas , local governments , enterprises , and universities . These were amongst areas and institutions hit hard as a result of increased resource constrains during the crisis . Restrictive measures implemented by governments to contain the pandemic led to control of flow of capital , materials and human resources across the borders and county , regional and country levels .
The innovations witnessed at the time ranged from frugal low-tech grassroots innovations to larger high-tech ones for enterprise scale businesses .
We saw local manufacture of hand sanitizers and soaps , mechanical and automatic soap dispensers using locally available and affordable raw materials . There were also use of pedals or thermal sensors to minimize human contact with sanitization equipment .
A coalition of leading technology firms in Kenya formed the Safe Hands Kenya project through which they manufactured hand sanitizers and worked with community-based organizations to use digital platforms and supply chains for distribution in densely populated settlements . Automotive companies linked to the Kenya Association of Manufacturers also developed an affordable portable , compact ventilator . These could be used even by untrained medical personnel in
Team alignment is a critical aspect of making sure every firm or company reaches its goals since unaligned teams typically work less efficiently and do not optimize their team ’ s creativity . Innovation works better when everyone in the team understands , collaborates , and works toward a common goal or vision .
off-grid areas .
Personal Protective Equipment ( PPEs ) which hitherto were imported from China and other places overseas were manufactured locally by organizations such as Kitui County Textile Centre .
Climate change , which is indisputably the crisis of our time , has also seen more innovations spring to life , especially in the renewable energy , manufacturing , and transportation sectors .
A new report by the World Economic Forum , Innovation and Adaptation in the Climate Crisis : Technology for the New Normal 2024 , details six data-driven and digital innovations critical in global climate adaptation and resilience . This includes strengthening risk analytics and climate-proofing supply chains , responding to emergencies and powering R & D to discover the next generation of climate technologies .
The innovations include artificial intelligence , drones , Earth observation , advanced computing , the Internet of Things , and virtual and augmented reality . The early warning systems powered by Earth observation and drones , for example , can help save lives in climate disasters like the floods that recently hit Kenya , claiming about 300 lives , and causing untold damage to infrastructure and farmlands .
As said earlier , it is during challenging times that individuals and organizations can creatively think , adapt , and develop new approaches to solve current and emerging problems .
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