developed and used in developed countries are not necessarily appropriate for
developing countries. Thus, in line with frugal innovation literature [88, 89], we
argue that ICT-focused water innovations needed in developing countries are those
that are easy to use, low-cost and robust enough to solve the complex problems
facing water systems in developing countries. One way to achieve the parallel
objectives of offering quality ICTs (for water) at an attractive cost in these countries
seems to be the use of innovation partnerships. As exemplified by the VIA Water
innovations analysed in this study, these ICTs can be codeveloped and/or
co-promoted by either domestic or foreign organisations (e.g. Upande’s low-cost
sensors, TAHMO low-cost weather stations). They could also be produced through
“polycentric innovation” [90] in which ICT multinational enterprises (such as IBM
and Google) and local organisations collaborate.
7.2 Practical Implications
This study has the following practical implications. First, the findings show that
ICT-focused water innovation partnerships are aimed at exchanging knowledge
resources and that exchanging tacit knowledge can be a difficult task. A practical
implication is that such partnerships should pay heed to the design of appropriate
mechanisms to exchange tacit knowledge. This can be done notably by setting up
strategies that enable an open flow of information among partnering organisations
and continuous co-creation and use of knowledge by the partners throughout the
entire life time of the partnership. Some of the strategies identified in the ICT-WIPs
analysed in this study include the establishment of joint innovation teams, division
of labour, human resource exchange and online collaborative systems.
Second, the study results showed that fruitful ICT-WIPs do not naively rely on
mutual trust, as evidenced by the partnership challenges described in Sect. 5.4
(e.g. low levels of partner commitment, asymmetries in resource exchange and
ambiguity of partnership objectives). This calls for a careful combination of structural and relational partnership governance mechanisms. Organisations partnering to
implement ICT-focused water innovation projects should acknowledge that formal
control and trust-based governance mechanisms reinforce each other in safeguarding
the exchange of resources in the partnerships. Thus, even when they have all good
reasons to trust in the ability of their partners to deliver on their promises, they
should strive to set up formalised agreements right from the start of the partnership.
Structural agreements should be envisioned in a variety of areas, spanning from
dispute resolution mechanisms to knowledge protection, decision-making procedures, incentive systems, performance monitoring and evaluation, intellectual property rights, appropriability of innovation results and sharing of innovation revenues
[62].
Third, the study confirmed the increasing recognition that ICT-focused water
innovations cannot be implemented in a vacuum. Designing and executing effective
partnerships for smart water systems requires, therefore, that partners implementing
200
S. Mvulirwenande and U. Wehn
developing countries. Thus, in line with frugal innovation literature [88, 89], we
argue that ICT-focused water innovations needed in developing countries are those
that are easy to use, low-cost and robust enough to solve the complex problems
facing water systems in developing countries. One way to achieve the parallel
objectives of offering quality ICTs (for water) at an attractive cost in these countries
seems to be the use of innovation partnerships. As exemplified by the VIA Water
innovations analysed in this study, these ICTs can be codeveloped and/or
co-promoted by either domestic or foreign organisations (e.g. Upande’s low-cost
sensors, TAHMO low-cost weather stations). They could also be produced through
“polycentric innovation” [90] in which ICT multinational enterprises (such as IBM
and Google) and local organisations collaborate.
7.2 Practical Implications
This study has the following practical implications. First, the findings show that
ICT-focused water innovation partnerships are aimed at exchanging knowledge
resources and that exchanging tacit knowledge can be a difficult task. A practical
implication is that such partnerships should pay heed to the design of appropriate
mechanisms to exchange tacit knowledge. This can be done notably by setting up
strategies that enable an open flow of information among partnering organisations
and continuous co-creation and use of knowledge by the partners throughout the
entire life time of the partnership. Some of the strategies identified in the ICT-WIPs
analysed in this study include the establishment of joint innovation teams, division
of labour, human resource exchange and online collaborative systems.
Second, the study results showed that fruitful ICT-WIPs do not naively rely on
mutual trust, as evidenced by the partnership challenges described in Sect. 5.4
(e.g. low levels of partner commitment, asymmetries in resource exchange and
ambiguity of partnership objectives). This calls for a careful combination of structural and relational partnership governance mechanisms. Organisations partnering to
implement ICT-focused water innovation projects should acknowledge that formal
control and trust-based governance mechanisms reinforce each other in safeguarding
the exchange of resources in the partnerships. Thus, even when they have all good
reasons to trust in the ability of their partners to deliver on their promises, they
should strive to set up formalised agreements right from the start of the partnership.
Structural agreements should be envisioned in a variety of areas, spanning from
dispute resolution mechanisms to knowledge protection, decision-making procedures, incentive systems, performance monitoring and evaluation, intellectual property rights, appropriability of innovation results and sharing of innovation revenues
[62].
Third, the study confirmed the increasing recognition that ICT-focused water
innovations cannot be implemented in a vacuum. Designing and executing effective
partnerships for smart water systems requires, therefore, that partners implementing
200
S. Mvulirwenande and U. Wehn