You are invited to share your knowledge
Four billion people in the world make up the Bottom of the Pyramid. They earn two dollar a day, or less. They are poor. And yet, they are considered to be a potentially profitable market. This may sound implausible. What is there to sell to people who can hardly afford to send their children to school? It needs a closer look at the reasoning behind the Bottom or Base of the Pyramid (BoP) to make the whole idea become less enigmatic. Simply put, the ‘BoP philosophy' states that companies have the resources and the expertise to develop new products or services that serve the need of the poor, thus combining commercial success with poverty alleviation.
Brainstorm: Bottom of the Pyramid
On 26 November 2008 the Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI) is organising a special brainstorm with the theme: ‘What could polymers mean for the Bottom of the Pyramid?' Some 250 scientists - predominantly from the field of polymer research - will be clustering their knowledge and creativity to conjure up tangible solutions for the developing countries. The participants will be searching together for innovative ideas for sanitation, for instance, or electricity generation or the reuse of waste water. The solutions must be both innovative and, equally importantly, feasible (in other words, affordable, using locally produced materials and easy to apply). After a feasibility study, DPI will invest in the best ideas and convert them into realistic DPI projects. DPI aims to achieve sustainable results to ensure that future generations also profit from the progress.
We need you
Are you also willing to free up some time and creativity for this worthy goal? We are looking for volunteers and sponsors from outside the world of polymer research who are prepared to share their knowledge. Does this initiative appeal to you? Then come to the brainstorming session on 26 November and/or help with the feasibility study. Organisations being invited include: the Red Cross, Oxfam Novib, SOS Children’s Villages, Unicef, Cordaid Memisa, Artsen zonder grenzen (doctors without borders), ZOA as well as all other organisations that are committed to a well structured healthcare system in developing countries.
We promise you an inspiring and, above all, useful afternoon. An afternoon that could make all the difference!
Date: November 26, 2008
Venue: Borealis, Crowne Plaza Hotel Antwerp (B)
Fee: free
Registration: (see link below)
Contact: Noortje Peek
Link: registration