Investigating the Capacities and Applications of the Frugal Innovation Approach in the COVID-19 Crisis and Its Implications for the Post-COVID-19 Era

Document Type : Review article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student in management of technology, Department of Progress Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology

2 Associate Professor, Department of Progress Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology

Abstract

In recent years, a new stream of innovation studies has emerged due to the disparities generated by economic development that focus on developing innovative products for the constrained market. This stream of studies comes in some way under the subject of Inclusive Innovation and various headings such as "BOP Innovation" or "Resource-Constrained Innovation." The "Frugal Innovation" model has the most significant volume of studies among the different innovation models under the above subject. Focusing on specific customer needs and the product's core functionality and eliminating unnecessary product features, we seek to use innovative methods with the least resources (materials, energy, human resources, financial resources, etc.) to design and manufacture goods with acceptable performance and in line with the needs of our markets. Because of healthcare's specific characteristics, most frugal innovation case studies in the literature related to this area. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the frugal innovation approach has been seen in many countries as a problem-solving and crisis-management capability. This is due to the need to provide fast, inexpensive, and scalable solutions that can be learned. Based on the documentary study method, while exploring the theoretical foundations of the frugal innovation approach in the Iran innovation studies for the first time, this article aims to examine the capacities of this approach to tackle the epidemic crisis and to provide evidence of successful product samples from different countries, and then to draw lessons learned from these studies Based on the lessons learned from the Corona era, this paper introduces frugal innovation approach as a new perspective for Iranian entrepreneurs and businesses in the post-Corona era, during which limited resources firms develop innovative products for customers in emerging markets.

Keywords


  1. References
  2. Abdelrahman, T., Brown, C., & Egan, R. (2020). Surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic: Operating room suggestions from an international Delphi process. The British Journal of Surgery. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/bjs.11747

    Aerobiosys Innovation. (2020). JEEVAN Lite. https://www.aerobiosys.com/jeevan-lite

    Agarwal, N., & Berm, A. (2017). Frugal innovation-past, present, and future. IEEE Engineering Management Review, 45(3), 37–41. https://doi.org/10.1109/EMR.2017.2734320

    Agnihotri, A. (2015). Low-cost innovation in emerging markets. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 23(5), 399–411. https://doi.org/10.1080/0965254X.2014.970215

    Agrawal, V., & Sharma, D [D.] (2020). Frugal solutions for the operating room during the COVID-19 pandemic. The British Journal of Surgery. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/bjs.11783

    Arshad, H., Radić, M., & Radić, D. (2018). Patterns of Frugal Innovation in Healthcare. TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION MANAGEMENT REVIEW, 8(4). http://timreview.ca/article/1150

    Baral, S. (2020). Jugaad Culture Amidst COVID-19: A Time to Step Up for Innovation in Low-Income Countries. Journal of Lumbini Medical College, 8(1), 3 pages-3 pages. https://doi.org/10.22502/jlmc.v8i1.339

    Basu, R., Banerjee, P., & Sweeny, E. (2013). Frugal Innovation: Core Competencies to Address Global Sustainability. Journal of Management for Global Sustainability, 1(2), 63–82. https://doi.org/10.13185/JM2013.01204

    Beitler, J. (2020). Ventilator Sharing Protocol: Dual-Patient Ventilation with a Single Mechanical Ventilator for Use during Critical Ventilator Shortages. Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons New York-Presbyterian Hospital(version 3).

    Bhatti, Y., Harris, M., & Prabhu, J. (2020). Frugal Innovation for Today’s and Tomorrow’s Crises. Stanford Social Innovation Review. https://ssir.org/articles/entry/frugal_innovation_for_todays_and_tomorrows_crises

    Bhatti, Y., Ramaswami Basu, R., Barron, D., & Ventresca, M. J. (2018). Frugal Innovation. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316986783

    Bianchi, C., Bianco, M., Ardanche, M., & Schenck, M. (2017). Healthcare frugal innovation: A solving problem rationale under scarcity conditions. Technology in Society, 51, 74–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2017.08.001

    Bora, G. (2020, March 27). Rising Covid-19 cases scare hospitals with insufficient ventilators. One firm is scampering to change tha. Economic Times. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/sme-sector/covid-19-ventilators-hospitals-agva-healthcare-coronavirus/articleshow/74840459.cms?from=mdr

    Chandler, D. L. (2020). MIT-based team works on rapid deployment of open-source, low-cost ventilator. http://news.mit.edu/2020/ventilator-covid-deployment-open-source-low-cost-0326

    Chang, B. (2020, April 1). Coronavirus: France is using its high speed TGV trains to transport coronavirus patients - Business Insider. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-france-high-speed-tgv-trains-moving-hospitals-2020-3?international=true&r=US&IR=T#the-trains-will-also-soon-be-transferring-38-critically-ill-coronavirus-patients-from-paris-to-brittany-in-northwestern-france-the-new-york-times-reported-17

    Clendaniel, M. (2020, March 27). Corporate America must learn to innovate frugally to get through the coronavirus crisis. Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/90520728/now-slack-is-more-than-an-email-killer-its-a-social-network-in-disguise

    Fracassi, C., & Romaioli, A. (2020, March 22). We Made Copies of Ventilator Parts to Help Hospitals Fight Coronavirus. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/22/opinion/ventilators-coronavirus-italy.html

    Gopinath, G. (2020). The Great Lockdown: Worst Economic Downturn Since the Great Depression. IMFBlog.

    Grebel, T. (2011). Innovation and Health. Edward Elgar Publishing.

    Harris, M., Bhatti, Y., Buckley, J., & Sharma, D [Dhananjaya] (2020). Fast and frugal innovations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nature Medicine. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-020-0889-1

    Hern, A. (2020, April 15). Volunteers create world's fastest supercomputer to combat coronavirus. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/apr/15/volunteers-create-worlds-fastest-supercomputer-to-combat-coronavirus

    Herstatt, C., & Tiwari, R. (2020). Opportunities of Frugality in the Post-Corona Era. Center for Frugal Innovation Institute for Technology and Innovation Management Hamburg University of Technology.

    Hossain, M. (2017). Mapping the frugal innovation phenomenon. Technology in Society, 51, 199–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2017.09.006

    Hossain, M. (2018). Frugal innovation: A review and research agenda. JOURNAL of CLEANER PRODUCTION, 182, 926–936. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.02.091

    Lai, A. F. W., Enjiu, P. T., Chan, T. Y. S., & Chia, C. L. K. (2020). Frugal innovation in the pandemic: Finding the solution from within. The British Journal of Surgery. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/bjs.11778

    Lim, C., & Fujimoto, T. (2019). Frugal innovation and design changes expanding the cost-performance frontier: A Schumpeterian approach. Research Policy, 48(4), 1016–1029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2018.10.014

    Lunze, K., & Hamer, D. H. (2012). Thermal protection of the newborn in resource-limited environments. Journal of Perinatology : Official Journal of the California Perinatal Association, 32(5), 317–324. https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2012.11

    Marico Innovation Foundation (2020, July 11). Marico Innovation Foundation selects 3 respiratory solution provider as winners. The Indian Express Private Limited. https://www.expresshealthcare.in/covid19-updates/marico-innovation-foundation-selects-3-respiratory-solution-provider-as-winners/423094/

    Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (2020). Gazette of India Extraordinary Notification. Part II - sec. 3(i), F. No. 18–03/2020-DC. GSR 219(E). New Dehli.

    1. Agarwal, & A. Brem (2012). Frugal and reverse innovation - Literature overview and case study insights from a German MNC in India and China. In 2012 18th International ICE Conference on Engineering, Technology and Innovation.

    Onsongo, E. (2020). Frugal Innovation during the COVID-19 crisis: Examples from East Africa. Centre for Frugal Innovation in Africa (CFIA). https://www.cfia.nl/news/frugal-innovation-during-the-covid-19-crisis-examples-from-east-africa

    OxVent. (2020). gets green light by UK government to proceed to next stage of testing | University of Oxford. University of Oxford. https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2020-03-31-ventilator-project-oxvent-gets-green-light-uk-government-proceed-next-stage-testing

    Pai, N. P., Vadnais, C., Denkinger, C., Engel, N., & Pai, M. (2012). Point-of-care testing for infectious diseases: Diversity, complexity, and barriers in low- and middle-income countries. PLoS Medicine, 9(9), e1001306. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001306

    Pisoni, A., Michelini, L., & Martignoni, G. (2018). Frugal approach to innovation: State of the art and future perspectives. JOURNAL of CLEANER PRODUCTION, 171, 107–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.09.248

    Prahalad, C. K. (2004). The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid. PEARSON EDUCATION, INC.

    Prahalad, C. K. (2012). Bottom of the Pyramid as a Source of Breakthrough Innovations. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 29(1), 6–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5885.2011.00874.x

    Radjou, N., & ORG, G. (2014). Frugal Innovation: How to do better with less. THE ECONOMIST.

    Ramdorai, A., & Herstatt, C. (2015). Frugal Innovation in Healthcare. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16336-9

    Rao, B. C. (2013). How disruptive is frugal? Technology in Society, 35(1), 65–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2013.03.003

    Rosca, E., Arnold, M., & Bendul, J. C. (2017). Business models for sustainable innovation – an empirical analysis of frugal products and services. JOURNAL of CLEANER PRODUCTION, 162, S133-S145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.02.050

    Santos, L. L., Borini, F. M., & Oliveira Júnior, M. d. M. (2020). In search of the frugal innovation strategy. Review of International Business and Strategy, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print), 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/RIBS-10-2019-0142

    Simonite, T. (2020, March 26). Engineers Made a DIY Face Shield. Now, It's Helping Doctors. WIRED. https://www.wired.com/story/tinkerers-created-face-shield-being-used-hospitals/

    Suresh, V. (2020). Simple innovations in the operating room amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Indian Journal of Anaesthesia, 64(14), 146. https://doi.org/10.4103/ija.IJA_353_20

    Tan, Z., Khoo, D. W. S., Zeng, L. A., Tien, J.‑C. C., Lee, A. K. Y., Ong, Y. Y., Teo, M. M., & Abdullah, H. R. (2020). Protecting health care workers in the front line: Innovation in COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Global Health, 10(1), 10357. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.10.010357

    Tiwari, R., & Herstatt, C. (2012). Frugal Innovation: A Global Networks’ Perspective. Die Unternehmung, 66(3), 245–274. https://doi.org/10.5771/0042-059X-2012-3-245

    Tran, V.‑T., & Ravaud, P. (2016). Frugal innovation in medicine for low resource settings. BMC Medicine, 14(1), 102. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-016-0651-1

    Weinhold, I., & Gurtner, S. (2014). Understanding shortages of sufficient health care in rural areas. Health Policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 118(2), 201–214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2014.07.018

    Weyrauch, T., & Herstatt, C. (2016). What is frugal innovation? Three defining criteria. Journal of Frugal Innovation, 2(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40669-016-0005-y

    Wiedner, R., Croft, C., & McGivern, G. (2020). Improvisation during a crisis: hidden innovation in healthcare systems. Leader (British Medical Journal ), leader-2020-000259. https://doi.org/10.1136/leader-2020-000259

    Winkler, T., Ulz, A., Knöbl, W., & Lercher, H. (2019). Frugal innovation in developed markets – Adaption of a criteria-based evaluation model. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2019.11.004

    Yeo, D., Kaushal, S., & Ahmed, S. (2020). Clearing the air: An accessible system for suction and safe evacuation of pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopy in patients with COVID-19. The British Journal of Surgery, 107(7), e200. https://doi.org/10.1002/bjs.11683

    Zeschky, M [M], WinterhalterProf, S., & Gassmann, O [O] (2014). From cost to frugal and reverse innovation: Mapping the field and implications for global competitiveness, 57(4). https://doi.org/10.5437/08956308X5704235

    Zeschky, M [Marco], Widenmayer, B., & Gassmann, O [Oliver] (2011). Frugal Innovation in Emerging Markets. Research-Technology Management, 54(4), 38–45. https://doi.org/10.5437/08956308X5404007

    Zulauf, K. E., Green, A. B., Nguyen Ba, A. N., Jagdish, T., Reif, D., Seeley, R., Dale, A., & Kirby, J. E. (2020). Microwave-Generated Steam Decontamination of N95 Respirators Utilizing Universally Accessible Materials. MBio, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00997-20