On November 25-26 the Learning Lab, attended an expert meeting with a number of fellow learning labs across Europe. The meeting was two-part, with workshop, which including selected companies, and a planning meeting for the European labs. The scope of the workshop was “Adding value to BOP business by integrating TBL (triple bottom line) thinking” to be addressed by presentations and short workshops. The workshop was hosted by the Spanish Laboratorio Base De La Pirámide and the invitation list included the European learning labs and a number of companies.
A topic that was widely discussed during the breakout sessions at the workshop was the difficulties in applying a participatory approach in the project development period and challenges of integrating it into the business model. E.g. a popular element of a BOP business model is to integrate the distributors into the company's value chains, to achieve a succesful distribution model for the "informal consumers", however they companies face a risk in turning the distributor into competitors.
Also, the social legality of BOP projects was discussed. E.g. if the presence of BOP products or services destroy local market forces and employment/income it has a negative impact. The companies therefore become challenged with the degree of inclusiveness of the project.
The workshop included practical experience from companies and researchers. In details some included:
- Essilor Internatioal: Manufacturer of eye glasses, which have created an innovative approach in how to target their customers and developing a service support, using a type of mobile kiosk, which was imperative in addressing the challenge of enhancing access.
- Veolia Eau: Provider of water purification equipment. Has engaged into a partnership with Grameen Health Care Services, in setting up a large pilot project in India. Is currently pursuing different models and analyzing the resultsa using participative approach.
- United Nations University: Creating an enabling environment for enhancing productive capacity of rural farmers. The presenter stressed two aspects when developing BOP projects, which was 1) a need for quick feedback mechanisms from the companies to address an often prevalent short-sightedness amongst the BOP consumers and 2) the difficulty in educating or target clients with existing products/services.
Other presentations included:
- UNDP, Private Sector Engagement: BOP inclusive business with a TBL perspective
- France’s BOP Learning Lab: Opportunities and obstacles of business solutions for the poor that complete the 3Ps
- Ecole Polytechnique & Lafarge: Necessary conditions to create value following a TBL perspective
- Emergia Institute / Endeva: Innovative business models that integrate TBL thinking
- Spain’s Laboratorio Base De La Pirámide: Comparative advantages of BOP solutions that complete the 3Ps’.