A New Model for Enabling Innovation in Appropriate Technology for Sustainable Development

Introduction In the "Internet Age" more than one billion people continue to live in impoverished conditions inferior to those of the Minoan Civilization (circa 2200 to 1450 BC) (Gates, 2000; UNDP, 2001). For example, the Minoans had a community-water system (Logiadou-Platonos, 1980), yet today ingestion of unsafe water, inadequate availability of water for hygiene, and lack of access to sanitation contribute to approximately 1.5 million child deaths every year (Ezzati et al. 2002; WHO, 2002). Approximately 2.6 billion people currently have no access to a hygienic toilet or latrine (WHO, 2010), while overall 10.8 million children under the age of five die each year from preventable causes (Black et al. 2003). These deaths are largely related to poverty: as of 2004, just under one billion people live on less than US$1.08 a day and 2.5 billion people live on less than US$2.15 a day (Chen & Ravallion, 2007). The enormous challenge to our generation is increasing as the world's population continues to expand--to an expected nine billion people by 2050 (UNDESA, 2008). How we meet the needs of this growing population in a just and equitable manner within the ecological capacity of the earth is the major challenge of sustainable development.To address these situations, a variety of government programs, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have undertaken initiatives to enable technology and information diffusion among communities to support sustainable development. The success of these endeavors requires a systematic approach with coordinated contributions from a wide range of individuals and stakeholders (Limerick et al. 2002; Fiksel, 2006); yet presently, information and communication systems are not sufficiently effective in diffusing technologies among the wide range of audiences. For instance, how can a small business in a developing village in China access the thermodynamics knowledge of a mechanical engineer at an American university? How can the economic sustainability of the community of Gaviotas, Columbia share a simple heat-exchange technology used in Chinese businesses (Weisman, 1998)? How can American communities benefit from the design improvements on solar hot-water heaters made in Gaviotas?These modes of technology transfer do not presently occur because there is limited and weak communication between developing communities and researchers, resulting in poor technological diffusion and redundant time and resource-consuming research and development for communities of all nations. A new method of technology transfer and communication among communities is clearly needed on a global scale. This article outlines the necessity and the components for creation of a new research endeavor that would allow for much faster and more efficient diffusion of ideas and technology. Such an enabling innovation (EI) system would be designed to inspire the formulation of sustainable social and technological solutions by facilitating knowledge and technology transfer among communities with the support of educational institutions, NGOs, and industry.This article describes the core of the system's design: an online community that would catalyze and disseminate innovation by providing local innovators with multilingual and visual representation of: 1) innovation use by geographical location and resource availability; 2) innovation evolution or adaptation; 3) social networks among innovators; and 4) networks of complimentary innovations or systems designs. The online community would document the evolution of innovation and provide ready access to local innovators, NGOs, and academic resources to support collaborative development of sustainable solutions. Customized community portals would provide relevant information for specific groups of users (e.g., to match their geographic, economic, or otherwise particular circumstances). Moreover, this communication channel would create an opportunity for faculty and students to directly contribute to sustainable development while enhancing their understanding of key traditional topics in education via experience-based service learning. …