Scaling Grassroot Innovation

In this meetup we will delve into the heart of fostering innovation from the ground up. This session builds upon the critical discussions initiated last year in "Saving the world or your profit margin?" where the potential of innovations to solve global challenges was juxtaposed against the imperatives of profit maximization. Our focus will shift towards understanding how to scale grassroots innovations effectively, ensuring that the original spirit of community-led problem-solving is not lost in the process. The Global Innovation Gathering network, together with Steinbeis Europa Zentrum, will explore practical strategies to create a supportive ecosystem that connects researchers and innovators across the globe, facilitating knowledge exchange and collaboration without falling into the pitfalls of exploiting grassroots innovators and their communities.

We will share experiences of trying to scale open, grassroot innovations, cases of successfully scaled projects, relevant methods and networks and will discuss mechanisms of creating sustainable, mutually beneficial relationships between grassroots communities and global innovation networks. What role do researchers play and what obstacles do the face when trying to scale innovation? We invite you to come and share your experiences, challenges, and successes in scaling up innovations, creating a rich dialogue on best practices. Aim of the session is to distil actionable insights that can guide how we support and collaborate with grassroots innovators and researchers ensuring their contributions are recognized, protected, and effectively integrated into broader innovation ecosystems. By fostering an environment of respect, equity, and genuine collaboration, we aspire to create a global network where grassroots innovation not only thrives but sets the standard for how we approach solving the world's most pressing issues.