From September 1, 2015 Dr. Saradindu Bhaduri holds the Prince Claus Chair for a period of two years. His thematic focus is on the area of “Frugal Innovation for Development and Equity”, a research field that Dr. Bhaduri has an excellent academic track record.
“Frugal innovation”, is a new research field in the innovation studies and is a form of design and entrepreneurship with relatively advanced products, services and systems within the reach of relatively poor consumers living in an environment with limited resources.
The challenge is herein not only to deliver products that are stripped of all the additional features in order to lower the price, but to deliver quality and affordable innovations that suit the local conditions and culture. To be to connect to the local area “Frugal innovation”, developed polycentric innovation networks in which entrepreneurs, designers, investors, producers and distributors from different parts of the world meet.
Dr. Bhaduri is a promising Indian scientist who study in “frugal innovation” by and for the poorest consumers. Here he focuses on innovation in the informal sector which his research touches on the core value of the Prince Claus Chair ‘development and equity. Dr. Bhaduri has an extensive network and bring together academics from different countries during his term, thereby facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experience between “Frugal innovation” hotspot India and other emerging economies.
Dr. Bhaduri works at the Centre for Studies in Science Policy, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. During his two-year term, Dr. Bhaduri will spent three months twice at the ISS in The Hague, will do fieldwork in India and Africa and will contribute to education about ‘frugal innovation’. He will work closely with researchers from the Centre for Frugal Innovation in Africa, one of the multidisciplinary research of the University of Leiden, Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Dr. Bhaduri will visit The Hague for the first time in the autumn of 2015 for his research in the framework of the Prince Claus Chair and his inaugural speech, is scheduled for the spring of 2016.
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The objective of the Prince Claus Chair is to continue the work of Prince Claus (1926-2002) in the field of development and equity. Utrecht University and the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam set every year alternately a young academic from a region in development as chair holder. The chair was created in 2003 with the aim of “promoting research and education in the field of development cooperation”.
International Institute of Social Studies (ISS)
The ISS is an international research and educational institute in the field of development studies. The ISS is based in The Hague and is part of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. Annually, there are about 300 to 400 students, mostly from developing countries, on the ISS. ISS also has a large PhD program.
Frugal Centre for Innovations in Africa (CFIA)
The CFIA is one of the joint multidisciplinary research at Leiden University, Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam. The research center is focused on identifying areas where ‘frugal innovations’ best come into their own in improving the lives of consumers and producers at the bottom of the global socio-economic pyramid.
