This summer, students and early career faculty at Bahir Dar University in Ethiopia participated in Bahir Dar i-Teams, an immersive seven-week innovation programme designed to equip young innovators with the tools, networks, and confidence to turn real technologies into locally adapted solutions.
Delivered by Amy Weatherup, the i-TeamsProgramme Director at the IfM, the Centre for Global Equality (CGE) and the Business Incubation and Techno Entrepreneurship Center (Bitec) Innovation Commercialisation Programme, Bahir Dar i-Teams gave participants a unique hands-on experience in problem-solving, market validation, inclusive design, impact-led innovation and working effectively in cross-disciplinary teams, which reflects the collaborative ethos of the programme.
The Bahir Dar i-Teams programme was delivered online from Cambridge with in-person facilitation and mentoring from the local university staff, a delivery model which we have successfully used in multiple countries including Indonesia, Vietnam in ASEAN i-Teams, Argentina and Kenya.
The i-Teams participants explored how three new technologies could be tailored to the Ethiopian context, engaging directly with potential users, healthcare providers, and other key stakeholders. Two of these technologies are being supported by the CGE Cultivator in Cambridge (Hear Glue Ear’s affordable hearing aids for young children, and SSS’s Vapourised Hydrogen Peroxide Steriliser). The third technology, a novel gel-based sanitiser, was developed at Bahir Dar University.
Bahir Dar i-Teams is part of a growing movement to build research commercialisation for sustainable development and innovation capacity in the Global South through co-creation, context-driven design, and student leadership. The students produced excellent results and very thoughtful conclusions, taking into account value chain complexities as well as local market needs.