Handbook on Frugal Innovation

This pioneering Handbook details the origins of the concept of frugal innovation, its emergence as an academic field of interest, and the driving forces behind it. It presents new empirical evidence and critical perspectives on what frugal innovation entails, from a range of disciplines including science and engineering, humanities, and the social sciences.

Analysing case studies on frugal innovation from across the globe, this Handbook assesses the role of innovation in addressing societal challenges such as poverty, inequality, and climate change. Chapters examine key topics in the field, covering gender as a lens for frugal innovation, managing frugal innovation for sustainable development, design and engineering in frugal product formation, and the global markets for frugal innovation policies. Contributors pay specific attention to the role of technology as an enabler for frugal innovation, and the institutional and social contexts in which it takes place.

Providing a comprehensive overview of frugal innovation, this Handbook will be essential reading for academics and students in the fields of development economics, business and management studies and organisational innovation. It will also be beneficial for policymakers and government officials interested in perspectives on innovation that could be instrumental in the formation and implementation of innovation policies.