The Informal Economy in Developing Nations
Hidden Engine of Innovation?

This pioneering study offers a conceptual model and rich empirical evidence to help researchers and policy-makers understand informal innovation in developing countries.

Erika Kraemer-Mbula (Edited by), Sacha Wunsch-Vincent (Edited by)

9781107157545, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 20 October 2016

436 pages, 42 b/w illus. 41 tables
23.5 x 15.8 x 2.4 cm, 0.82 kg

'This book is part of Cambridge University Press and WIPO's Intellectual Property, Innovation and Economic Development series. […] One commentator on the book has commended its contribution to innovation statistics and measurement work in Africa. It will be of great assistance for policy-makers building development strategies in countries where the informal economy plays an important role.' Michael Blakeney, European Intellectual Property Review

The informal economy represents a significant share of output and employment in many developing countries. Yet little is known about this hidden engine of innovation. This pioneering study addresses some crucial questions, including: what is the role of the informal sector in economic development? How does innovation occur in the informal economy? How does it spread, who are the key actors and what impacts does it have? How do inventors and entrepreneurs in the informal economy reap benefits from their innovations? What stops informal sector innovation from scaling up? How can informal sector innovation in developing countries be measured? And what policies might support informal sector innovation and improve its impacts? This book will stimulate further work on this crucial but under-researched subject. As well as rich empirical evidence from several groundbreaking studies, it includes conceptual and methodological tools and policy recommendations to help researchers and policy-makers understand innovation in the informal economy.

1. The informal economy: definitions, size, contribution and main characteristics Jacques Charmes
Comment 1.1 Adriana Mata Greenwood
Comment 1.2 Johannes Jütting
2. Innovation in the informal economy Jeremy de Beer, Kun Fu and Sacha Wunsch-Vincent
Comment 2.1 Colin C. Williams
Comment 2.2 Fred Gault
Comment 2.3 Xiaolan Fu
3. A study of the informal metalworking sector in Nairobi Christopher Bull, Steve Daniels, Mary Kinyanjui and Barrett Hazeltine
Comment 3.1 Joseph K. Kiplagat
4. Informal manufacturing of home and personal care products in South Africa Erika Kraemer-Mbula
Comment 4.1 Nonhlanhla Mkhize
5. Herbal medicine in the informal sector of Ghana George Owusu Essegbey and Stephen Awuni
Comment 5.1 Peter Arhin
6. Appropriation and intellectual property in the informal economy Jeremy de Beer and Sacha Wunsch-Vincent
Comment 6.1 Emmanuel Sackey
Comment 6.2 Dick Kawooya
Comment 6.3 Shamnad Basheer
7. Innovation policy and the informal economy: toward a new policy framework Erika Kraemer-Mbula and Almamy Konte
Comment 7.1 Anneline Morgan
Comment 7.2 Judith Sutz
8. Formulating an agenda for the measurement of innovation in the informal economy Jacques Charmes, Fred Gault and Sacha Wunsch-Vincent
Comment 8.1 Philippe Mawoko
Annex 1. Ad hoc interview guidelines and questionnaires
Annex 2. Extract 1 from the generic questionnaire of stage 2 of the 1-2-3 survey
Annex 3. Kenya 2014.

Subject Areas: Entrepreneurship [KJH], Business innovation [KJD]