Nepal Innovation Lab

All users of the lab are working on a humanitarian project, and currently have passed the application process (even if it is not mandatory). Depending on their advancement, the newest projects are not using the lab as a daily place, but come every month to meet the team.

They are today 3 main advanced projects using the lab as a co-working space (around 20 people daily), and some use the 3D printers to prototypes their products. It is also not rare to see users from different projects gathering to help each other’s.

Usually, the lab’s team involves the users in the life of the lab informally: they are asked for feedbacks and can participate to some decisions. All those innovators did “kind of like become a family”. Even if the project is finished, everyone that comes in the lab is kept updated on the news.

Many workshops and events punctuate the lab’s life. The main one is set up at the end of a project term. People from outside are invited to sum-up the project and get feedbacks from them.

Last year, an “open day” has been kickstarted to celebrate the lab anniversary. 250 people discovered the place and could enjoy “show and ell projects presentations”. But most of the applicants heard of NLab thanks to facebook or word-of-mouth.

For December 2015, the Nepal Innovation Lab is funded by the American NGO World Vision. This later is committed to support the Lab for 3 years. Until April 2018, the lab budget is secured. However, Nepal Innovation Lab has already started to assess future revenue sources : investors, machine and space rentals, …

The current annual budget of NLab is 500 000€ whose 65% is dedicated to projects and 35% to administrations and operations (wages, rent, charges, …) of the Lab. From this project pool funding the team allocates the funds.

For Aradhana, Nepal Innovation Lab next steps are clear :

• Get the Polyfloss project as a pilot in 2017

• Increase parity among project leaders

• Onboard more partners in the lab

• Develop the project : “Lab in a box” which emerged in November 2016. The concept is simple : sending a member of the lab with a simple kit including for example a tablet, wifi, solar battery, preloaded tools, etc. to initiate what they do in the lab on the field. It could be an interesting way to source emerging ideas from the ground.

Most of the lab’s team has worked in program development. They are three today. One lead manager, one COO, managing daily operations and events organization, and one coach for the projects.

To work in the lab, you’ll have to fit in 3 main criteria:

1. “A disaster response, recovery, and preparedness in Nepal”

2. “A breakthrough or large-scale impact project”

3. A possible duplication in “other post-disaster contexts beyond Nepal”

Once the application is accepted, the NLab proposes from 1 to 12-month-residencies during which you’ll be accompanied by the team. Their expertise resides in “rapid-testing at small scale and low cost”.

3 types of projects are incubated

1. “Explore ideas” : from 3 to 8 week-program in order to come up with a business model canvas and a Proof of Concept.

2. “Build projects” : during 3 to 6 months, proven humanitarian ideas will be developed to be ready for ready for investment and operating at scale.

3. “Amplify ventures” : the team accompanies the idea to the next level, mostly to raise funds.

The lab week schedule is tight. Every Monday, it’s team meeting with everyone and on a weekly basis, The lead manager does the check-in with each project team. Every month each project has to write a one pager explaining their evolutions, challenges and successes.

The documentation process at Nepal Innovation Lab concerns people, workshops and projects.

The lab keeps track of everyone who comes in. Through the Innovation Atlas, they have also increased their database by gathering organisations, groups and individuals working in innovation centers in Kathmandu on a single web platform.

Regarding projects & workshops, the process is clear :

• Photostories or facebook lives on projects, workshops are frequently published on their Facebook page.

• Weekly meetings with project leaders enable to track what has been done, the challenges, their current needs, …

• Monthly reports for internal use of every project that benefit from a lab grant

• Project one pagers published on the lab website at mid-term or end of the projects.

As each project leader owns the solution intellectual property, there’s no real documentation process. But to enhance the scalability, the projects can benefit from the network and expertise of World Vision to check if it can fit with other countries context.