The European project “FRANCIS” aims at the development of frugal innovations in open innovation challenges that involve citizens. FRANCIS is the abbreviation for “Frugal innovation by citizens for citizens”. Besides citizens, the project involves scientists and industry in the innovation process. In total, there will be two challenges. The scope of the first challenge will be the culinary world and home care. Focused target groups are troubled families, people with a minimalistic live style and elderly people living alone. The second challenge targets solar disinfection. Target groups are minimalistic consumers, low-/middle-income households in (semi-)rural areas, people in refugee camps and micro-entrepreneurs. The target countries of the two challenges span from Turkey and Germany to India, Bangladesh and Uganda.
Citizens can join the challenges via an online platform. Scientists run workshops during the challenges that offer method training. In addition, each participating team gets a buddy, i.e. someone who assists them in practical matters throughout the whole challenge process (usually students or young professionals). They can also exchange directly with mentors from the companies that host the challenges. Extensive communication activities - by social media, videos, a blog and a podcast series - ensure an easy access for marginalised groups. In general, FRANCIS puts a lot of effort on ensuring that the civil society is activated and motivated to participate in the challenges and that potential barriers are overcome. This action is supported by behavioural tests and analyses, to gain insight into the barriers most typically encountered at different stages of the frugal innovation process and to generate effective mitigation strategies . The project also aims at aligning the challenges with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and indicators for Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). The project will define an assessment for this purpose that will be tested in the two challenges.
