Innovation in Multi-Actor Partnerships: A Waste Management Initiative in Vietnam

Access2innovation is an initiative based in Denmark that develops and tests innovative new ways to build and implement strategic partnerships between civil society, business and academia. The objective is to meet perceived market opportunities and challenges in developing countries by developing innovative sustainable technological solutions and business models through partnerships. In this paper, an action research study is presented involving the early stage development of a commercial venture addressing waste problems in Vietnam involving CARE International and Danish companies in the waste management sector and carbon market. As facilitator and mediator, the author has sought to align objectives and bring about a business idea involving waste handling technologies. In the study, it is shown that going from an initial needs assessment towards a business idea is challenging, although some keys to success lie in providing actors with a sound base for decision-making as well as active bi- and multilateral negotiations. As a novel experiment, the study shows that access2innovation can provide a platform conducive for partnership-based innovation for development.