Actors, structural relations and causality in inclusive innovation: A telemedicine case in Mexico

Abstract

The study of inclusive innovation has become increasingly important in the literature on development-oriented innovations. This work is placed over this discussion and analyzes how the creation of innovative products and services can become a solution for social exclusion problems. The methodology used combines the case study with structural-causal analysis for revising a telemedicine project in Mexico. Through the identification of actors and determining factors/facts for the generation of this type of innovation, structural causal relationships behind inclusive products innovation are extracted and profiled. Evidence suggests that inclusive innovations in developing countries depend on public financing and require systemic interaction within multiple social actors, where interactive learning is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the generation and sustainability of innovations. The lack of economic incentives for companies is identified as a major obstacle for public policy to become a tool that allows articulating public-private interests. Likewise, the lack of vision of involved parties could restrain inclusive results, wasting resources and capacities generated by pilot projects.