Raising Seed Capital by Steve Schlafman at RRE Ventures
Pushing Maritime Innovation
1. Pushing Maritime Innovation:
To solve problems in the
developing (& developed) worlds
Roberta Weisbrod
Sustainable Ports
Midyear TRB Meeting August 14, 2012
2. Background: Ferry Safety in the
Developing World
• Developing world – ferry fatalities
• Interferry – Ferry Safety project with IMO
• With Bangladesh Identified issues & made
demonstration projects
• Information sharing forum
• Major outstanding issues remain
3. Design for the 90% of Us
• Criteria and goals
– Affordable (build, operate, repair)
– Safe
– Appropriate to situation
• Arenas
– Housing and urban planning
– Drinking water transport, pumping, purification
– Land transport
– Health care delivery
– NOT Maritime
6. Why build for developing nations?
Arguments against:
• They lack financial resources
• Social problems are complex – can’t just solve
one problem
• Maritime systems are complex – conservatism
rules
• If good idea, someone would have done it
already
7. What advances could be applied?
• Commitment to Jobs-like simplicity
• Can use iOs Platform
• New Materials
• New Forms
• Advanced Methods of Construction
8. Implementation strategy
• Information sharing for ferry safety nations
• Design competition
• Allies: Media, academia, & trade associations
• International Finance Corporation
• Private sector/public sector
9. Design competition
• Ferry must suit local conditions (Waterways &
Demographics)
• Safe
• Affordable to build, own, and operate
• Is sustainable environmentally
• And can improve local economy*
10. About Design Competition
• Site specific vessels – not generic
• Nations prepare RFPs for teams to address
• Multinational multidisciplinary teams
11. IFC role
• The International Finance Corporation invests
in private sector projects in developing world
• But not ferries, until now
• Confidence based on Interferry findings
• Their funding gives credibility to private sector
lenders and investors
12. Allies
• Media partner: conference in February 2013
on ferry safety & business opportunities (TBA)
• Academic institutions
• Trade Associations
13. Anticipated outcomes
• Safer ferries in developing world
• Safer ferry operations in developing world
• Improved economy in developing world
• Technological advances in US and elsewhere
• Improved ability for US maritime transport
Addresses problems in developing world – with the developing worldCooper Hewitt, MIT, Stanford – now other institutions
Up the ante:Reverse Innovation: Create Far From Home, Win Everywhere by Vijay Govindarajan Chris Trimble and Indra K. Nooyi
Weather – NOAA device – but could be appTraining – just got funding – downloadable from websiteOverloading –Social network just developed in Tanzania --– but recognize economic issue – hope to commission a studyRescue –lot could be done -- finding people in big waterwayVessels –Problem -- big, lots of moving parts, difficult milieu – can understand why conservative design – if redesign in this way were feasible or profitable =-- someone would have done it.
ApproachHow & why build for poor?By definition can’t affordDesign 90 – true innovationNot more microprocessors so need a user manual for simple devices like toastersUSNOAAVirginia TechPhilippinesTanzaniaUgandaNigeriaEBDG
Simple – not adding buttons to a dashboardIT should not be hard wired
The How question: How to make it happen Implementation strategy to solicit new designs and implement them