Pathways to Sustainability Based on Advanced Frugal Innovation: Innovation Generation and Innovation Scaling under Resource Constraints

向可持续经济和社会（可持续转型）过渡的速度在很大程度上取决于世界上较贫穷国家建立环境友好型创新的速度。当绿色创新起源于北方富裕国家，根据其要素成本和市场需求进行调整，并加剧南北之间的贫富差距时，这一过程受到抑制。另一方面，如果来自南方国家的行动者越来越多地进行创新，这一进程就会加快。来自普遍贫困国家的行动者能够在多大程度上生产环境友好型创新，大规模生产和使用这些创新，在包容性创新和节俭创新的条件下进行了讨论。南半球的一些国家有明显的优势，特别是在产生所谓的“先进的节俭创新”（AFI）方面。据说，这些创新还具有结合生态和社会优势的潜力。本文提出的研究项目“通过先进的节约型创新实现可持续发展之路：资源稀缺条件下的创新产生和规模化”考察了影响创新产生和规模化的因素。泰米尔纳德邦（印度）和西开普省（南非）是主要的研究领域。概念背景由生态创新的区域领先市场概念提供。广泛的实证工作被使用，例如半标准化调查。所有的研究工作都与指定的当地同事协调，并由他们在执行中提供部分支持。

The speed of the transition to a sustainable economy and society (Sustainability Transition) depends crucially on how quickly environmentally friendly innovations become established in poorer countries around the world. This process is inhibited when green innovations originate in the affluent countries of the North, tailored to their factor costs and market needs, and re-inforce the wealth gap between North and South. On the other hand, the process is accelerated if the innovations are increasingly produced by actors from the countries of the South. The extent to which actors from countries with widespread poverty are able to produce environmentally friendly innovations, produce them on a large scale and use them, is discussed under the terms of inclusive innovations and frugal innovations. Some countries of the Global South have clear advantages, especially when it comes to generating so-called “Advanced Frugal Innovations (AFI)”. These innovations are also said to have the potential to combine ecological and social advantages. The research project presented here "Ways to Sustainability through Advanced Frugal Innovation: Innovation generation and -scaling under conditions of resource scarcity" examines which factors influence the creation and scaling of innovation. Tamil Nadu (India) and Western Cape (South Africa) serve as the primary study areas. The conceptual background is provided by the Regional Lead Markets for Eco-Innovations concept. Extensive empirical work is used, e.g. semi-standardized surveys. All research work is coordinated with designated local colleagues and partially supported by them in the execution.