Technology In The Developing World like Uganda
Research reveals that approximately 3.5 billion people , or about half of the world’s population, make up the bottom of the wealth pyramid (BoP). Other research shows that the per-capita income of the group below the international poverty line is approximately $1.90 per day or less. Although this specific group has been getting smaller, it is still close to 1 billion people. As part of D-Lab faculty at MIT, I teach a class on engineering design for the developing world that focuses on taking appropriate technologies to scale. In addition to the business factors and value chain analyses that determine the viability of an idea, there are also numerous factors to consider when deciding what may be the best design-for-manufacturing approach for a product targeting the BoP. The students work on projects from entrepreneurs in the developing world aiming to address problems such as medical devices, sanitation technologies, agricultural equipment and energy. All of the products a