Frugal innovation programme VOICE: Eight weeks, eighteen voices, one shared journey

Between 8 June and 31 July, the online Frugal Innovation Virtual Online International Collaborative Exchange (VOICE) brought together an international community with participants joining from Asia, Africa, Europe and South America. They brought different academic backgrounds, professional experiences and perspectives on frugal innovation: the field of knowledge about innovations in times of scarcity and limited resources. The idea for the programme emerged in the context of André Leliveld’s Comenius Fellowship.

Across eight weeks, the participants explored a wide range of topics, including Frugality in a Finite World, Frugal Frameworks, Frugal Design and Grassroots Innovation, Frugal Business Models, Frugal Practices and Academic Blog Writing.

The sessions were hosted by an equally diverse group of facilitators and partner institutions, including the International Centre for Frugal Innovation (ICFI), International Institute of Social Studies, University of Amsterdam, Frugalis Colombia, Politécnico Grancolombiano University, Red Latinoamericana de Innovación Frugal, the Trans-disciplinary Research Cluster on Frugality Studies, Central University of Gujarat, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, African Studies Centre Leiden University, Nuvoni Centre for Innovation Research, South East Kenya University, and the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities - alongside an independent academic blog trainer.

From learning to creating
Live discussions, individual local flash ethnographies, readings, domain-group exchanges, and weekly reflection journals created multiple spaces for participants to explore what frugal innovation means in different contexts, and to question their own assumptions along the way.

Participants also wrote five collaborative blogs in international working groups focussing on either agriculture, health, digitisation, safety & security, or housing & construction. These blogs bring together the knowledge, observations and perspectives gathered throughout the programme. They are tangible products of a shared learning journey and can be read on the ICFI website.

Completing VOICE was no small achievement. The eighteen participants that completed the programme - and received an official VOICE certificate - stayed engaged alongside their academic, professional and personal commitments. Together with the facilitators they created a space where literally everyone's voice mattered, where participants discovered and learned from other voices, and where new, shared voices could emerge.

One participant captured this beautifully at the end of the programme:

“At VOICE, we didn't just share ideas; we grew together, shaped our voices, and walked towards a shared vision of responsible and impactful innovation. In the beginning, what I expected was a course on frugal innovation. What I received was a new way of thinking: how to ask better questions, design responsibly, evaluate sustainably, and communicate research that truly matters. Eight weeks later, I am leaving with much more than course notes. I am leaving with a mindset. Grateful to the entire VOICE team and fellow participants for making this an unforgettable learning journey.”

The VOICE pilot programme has demonstrated the potential of international, collaborative online learning to connect people across geographical and disciplinary boundaries, generate new perspectives on frugal innovation, and create a learning community that participants valued deeply.