INNOVATING FOR BILLIONS
OUR VISION
Developing Solutions for the Next 5 Billion
WE ARE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR INNOVATORS
Apply HERE to innovate at DISQ in Nashik
Apply HERE to innovate eye health solutions in Hyderabad
Apply HERE to innovate health tech in Mumbai
OUR VISION
At the MIT Media Lab, our aim is to influence and improve human lives. The proliferation of mobile devices and wide connectivity, as well as the availability and growth of machine learning, crowdsourcing, Big Data, and the Internet of Things offer new possibilities for research and development. In both developed and Emerging Worlds, there is a great opportunity for game-changing innovations that will impact billions.
BOTTOM UP, CO-INNOVATION
We have built a platform that brings together technical experts, innovators, academic institutions, implementation collaborators and progressive corporate collaborators that will allow us to solve the most pressing challenges within India, and other developing countries. The focus is on finding solutions that help serve the "The Next 5 Billion" citizens by:
- Identifying community specific challenges that may have solutions that could also be applied to multiple locations.
- Providing mentorship, training and technical support from corporate collaborators, the MIT Media Lab, and other leading institutions to assist innovators creating novel technical solutions for rapidly emerging and pop-up cities.
- Pairing innovators with implementation collaborators on the ground to ensure that each solution responds to real needs and enters the market with speed and scale.
HISTORY
In July 2013, Prof. Ramesh Raskar of the MIT Media Lab brought his first team to Hyderabad, India to run a week-long camp or "buildathon." In January 2014 Mumbai, India was the second city where the team ran a buildathon. And in July 2014 the team ran its first Kumbhathon in Nashik, India. These were the first of many buildathons (called “Kumbhathons” in Nashik) in India. Thus, the year-round innovation platform was born.
The purpose was to foster bottom-up innovation that would address significant challenges in the local area. The team received over 1000 applications for 100 spots in the program. The team recruited mentors from the MIT community, corporate executives, local academics, and government officials. Once they got a chance to see what was going on, many others learned about it and requested invitations.
During the initial visits, MIT Media Lab researchers worked closely with local innovators, and many continued to communicate throughout the year in order to develop more robust solutions to empower local citizens, especially for eye health, health diagnostics, and pop-up cities.
Our programs offer an economical way for our collaborators to evolve their strategies and increase their odds for success.
A LIVING LAB FOR INNOVATION TO SOLVE BIG PROBLEMS IN CONTEXT
A way for corporate and private collaborators to dip their toes in the water, engage directly in the innovation process, learn faster with more real world context than a slow, corporate R&D process that risks missing the mark, eating up expensive resources.
As our collaborator you will gain access to new markets and innovators, participate in the innovation process, be on the ground floor with new innovations, help commercialize and scale innovations, expand your global network, and perhaps even hire young innovators who can help transform your business.
OUR APPROACH
FUELED BY COLLABORATION
Uniting talent from different sectors of a society to collaborate on solving real-world challenges.
MIT MEDIA LAB
- A proven innovation methodology
- Technical expertise and innovation experience
- Mentorship and guidance
- Global pool of students
BUSINESS
- Industry expertise and mentorship
- Financial resources
- Valuable market perspective
- Long term collaborations
GOVERNMENT
- Key stakeholder of community benefiting innovation
- Insight into shared public plans and challenges
- Broader public implementation expertise
LOCAL ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS
- Student innovators
- Development skills
AREAS OF FOCUS & PROGRAMS
NASHIK: INNOVATION SANDBOX AND KUMBATHON
YEAR ROUND & KUMBH MELA
By bridging the communities of the Camera Culture Group, Nashik and our global collaborators, we seek solutions designed to help alleviate problems in rapid growth urban centers and "pop-up" cities in the developing world.
HYDERABAD AND MUMBAI: HEALTH TECH INCUBATORS
YEAR-ROUND
With a focus on global challenges and opportunities in Health Technology Innovation, we're building a strategic infrastructure to support a robust Co-Innovation Model through strong, multidisciplinary, corroborative partnerships.
HYDERABAD AND MUMBAI: INNOVATION CAMPS
THREE SESSIONS A YEAR
High-intensity, collaborative sessions that further the goals of the Innovation centers. Led by over 50 Tata Fellows who share their insights and expertise with Indian students and communities to foster innovation and entrepreneurship.
AREAS OF FOCUS
With a soaring population, there is real concern that not enough food will exist in the next few decades. We look for solutions that better link the end-consumer with the market producers to minimize wastage and ensure the right quantities are produced.
Limited housing and high upfront costs to build new houses are becoming a real-threat to rapidly developing cities. Additionally, moving people throughout a city in a cost-effective manner and limiting traffic bottlenecks is important to increasing.
Technology has the ability to allow us to re-imagine the way cities are built and improve the way they function. We are looking for any other technology solutions that address the needs of a future, smart city.
Fragmented health systems and data limit the ability to prevent, treat and understand the needs of the population. We look for solutions that address ways to bring together disjointed systems and data into central and easy-to-manage solutions such as a platform that provides patients with information on where to access healthcare in addition to the quality of those services in addition to tools that health providers can use to identify potential spikes in diseases.
The quantity and quality of academic centers for learning are limited. We are looking for solutions that fill both of these gaps. How can technology be used to identify where additional and what type of schools are required (and at what level?) and to assess the quality of the education being provided?
Technology has the ability to connect individuals to the financial market for the first time. There are a number of solutions we are interested at looking at from how to better connect individuals through novel ways to the banking system (e.g. mobile payments, unique bar-codes) to methods to bring the informal economy - the majority of the market - into the formal economy through innovative credit scoring methods to other mechanisms.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
CORPORATE MEMBERS
If your organization is interested in developing your India strategy and minimizing critical R&D and market entry risks while having a positive social impact, you should join us as a member.
FOR INQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT: JOHNKWERNER09@GMAIL.COM
ADVISORS & MENTORS
We're always looking for experienced leaders and skilled individuals eager to share their insights and help provide guidance for teams working within the Nashik, Mumbai and Hyderabad facilities, as well as in up and coming centers in other regions.
TO LEARN MORE PLEASE EMAIL: JOHNKWERNER09@GMAIL.COM
CONTACT: EMWORLDS@MEDIA.MIT.EDU
DONATE: EMERGING WORLDS EFFORTS
You will be redirected to giving.mit.edu. Your donation to "Camera Culture India Fund" will support all emerging worlds efforts. Thank you for your support!