Presentation of the green innovation Center in Benin The missing link Marc Bernard

Invest into Youth ! HOW?

R&D Value Chains KnowledgeKnowhowServices Business The AfricaRice approach for scaling innovations Training Pillar 1: Experimental sites IARCs and NARS carry out adaptive research to develop products and protocols facilitating adoption Pillar 2: Services for out-scaling Young professionals provide Innovation Support Services in collaboration with experts and local organizations on the basis of prices of the local economy Foundation: an Information and Communication System for Innovation Seamless documentation in near real time Short feedback loops to optimize knowledge generation and knowledge application A demand and result oriented Business Model

Info Target Group ServiceInfo Principle of the business model Turning the needs of the target group into market effective demand and cut out the middleman Subsidy of the offer - push - Subsidy of demand - pull - Investo r Service Provider Contract Investo r Target Group Service fund Service Provider RequestService Report Payme nt upon delivery Cut out the middleman

Internet café Quality check, data entry and publication of request Internet café Quality check, data entry and publication of request 3 Field agent Explains answer and evaluates the answer Field agent Explains answer and evaluates the answer 5 Example of the Information Exchange Service Service Fund Controlling and payment of agents upon delivery !!! Service Fund Controlling and payment of agents upon delivery !!! 6 10€ Total 59€ 10€ 20€ 9€ IARCs / NARS Design services 1 Field agent Records farm data and identifies a problem Field agent Records farm data and identifies a problem 2 Knowledge manager Interviews expert and publishes an answer Knowledge manager Interviews expert and publishes an answer 4 IARCs / NARS Experts analyse data and share results with all actors in the innovation system IARCs / NARS Experts analyse data and share results with all actors in the innovation system 7

How to define a service? 1.Ideation on the basis of research results 2.Define the purpose, product and outcomes 3.Define a workflow 4.Elaborate procedures and instructions 5.Define quality control procedures 6.Work out forms and questionnaires 7.Calculate costs based on local prices 8.Optimize according to feedback

Investors Define target group, thematic and geographic scope and development goal Service fund Value Chain Expert Networks Develop services and training courses, analyze feedback, monitor progress, evaluate impact and provide advice Payment upon delivery Market Drives development Young Professionals & Local Initiatives Provide development services for training, business development, technical assistance knowledge management and advice Value Chain Actors Identify and adopt innovations to realize business opportunities Busines s planning Products & Services Various Funding Sources Investme nt funds Viable business es Income & Expenditures Information and communicati on system for seamless documentation of the process allowing short feedback loops Framework for Innovation in the Food Sector - FIFS Communities & Organizations Create an enabling environment for innovation Agricultural colleges Train young professionals Happy Livelihoods

Moderate and assist value chain expert networks Manage ICT & Knowledge Promotion & Networking Role of the Green Innovation Centre in FIFS Mobilize Resources Control quality of services Manage the service fund Assist service providers Assist countries and donors in planning of interventions Facilitate Training of Trainers Monitor development

The Green Innovation Center a one stop shop for innovation support and business development services Environment Training Marketing Rice Technology Community development Education Business Development Organization Advocacy Knowledge management

Research institutions Scaling partners 123 AB Bring down transaction costs by switching form occasional to continuous operational exchange to coordination and collaboration C 15 occasional connections Research institutions Scaling partners 123 ABC Green Innovation Center GIC 6 continuous operational connections How to fund?

Connecting to farmers APHLIS+ is funded by the Real price index The service for the Organisation of Community Teams allowed us to connect to 20,000 farmers of … 266 framer groups in … 176 villages and to identify … 266 young collaborators for … 15,000 k€ in … 2 months time

Create Agricultural Professionalization Centers APHLIS+ is funded by the Real price index In collaboration with the extension service we have set up centres in 22 communities providing Internet access for 25 persons Information services E-learning courses Advisory & innovation support services Business development services For the 22 communities it took: 7,500 € to let young people organise the network 20,000 € to train community teams 44,000 € to equip them (2PC, 1 camera, router) 500 € for hard copies of relevant information Total 72,000 per community +/- 3,300 € Monthly operational cost 150 €

Activity areas of the GIC in Benin 13 APHLIS+ is funded by the

Activity areas of the GIC in Benin 14 APHLIS+ is funded by the

Further reading Latest version of this presentation The RUN business Model A documentary about the Informaion Exchange Service Other services The runetwork internet platform 15