Tuesday, September 24, 2002

For example, in 1990, there were 59 cities in Africa, 118 in Latin America and 359 in Asia with over one million people each. By 2015, it is estimated that there will be 225 cities in Africa, 225 in Latin America and 903 in Asia respectively with over a million people. At least 27 cities will have a population of 8 million or more. This implies that about 1,300 cities will account for a population of 1.5 to 2.0 billion people. These clusters may represent about 1.0 billion BOP consumers served primarily by the informal economy in clearly identifiable and restricted locales. Access to these markets can be very efficient. 12:32:04 PM    comment []

Thursday, September 12, 2002

Biography: Al Hammond is Chief Information Officer and Senior Scientist at World Resources Institute. His responsibilities include institute-wide leadership for new analytic approaches and for WRI's Communications 2000 effort; he also directs the Strategic Indicator Research Initiative and writes and does research on long-term sustainability issues. Dr. Hammond is an accomplished scientist and science journalist whose experience includes serving as founder and editor of Science 80-Science 86 magazine for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, founding editor of the National Academy of Sciences' Issues in Science and Technology, and research news editor of Science. In addition, he was a broadcaster for CBS radio and is the author or editor of 9 books and numerous scientific publications. He has won a number of national magazine awards and other journalistic honors. Dr. Hammond has served as a consultant to the White House science office, to several U.S. federal agencies, and to the United Nations. He has degrees from Stanford (in engineering) and Harvard (in applied mathematics). 4:03:47 PM    comment []

http://www.acumenfund.org/Acumen/Portal/article/POCShwArtc.asp?ID=24&;IDType=AN (btw, I met an officer of Acumen this year, they have a very interesting investment approach.)   Hammond developed the site http://www.digitaldividend.org/ that has hundreds of case histories of innovative ICT enterprises.    In September, the HBR will have a piece by him "Serving the Poor, Profitably", http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/common/item_detail.jhtml?id=R0209C.  The digital dividend site promises to have a version online at that time.   A simple radio commentary version of the ideas is at http://www.digitaldividend.org/press_center/press_center_01_npr.htm   Finally, his spring 2001 Foreign Affairs article, "Digitally Empowered Development" is summarized at  http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20010301faessay4265/allen-l-hammond/digitally-empowered-development.html 4:03:25 PM    comment []

ApproTEC is always searching for new profitable small business models for Africa, and as we find them we will continue to develop and promote the required new technologies. Although only thorough market research will tell, we see the potential for many new small business models including everything from; low-cost well drilling or improved milk transport services, to the generation and sale of electricity or the low-cost provision of communication and business services in small towns. 3:51:55 PM    comment []