Dubbed by many intergovernmental organizations as ‘the fourth development-aid actor’ and the ‘missing link’ by Professor Dirk-Jan Koch, diaspora communities hold great potential to substantially contribute to sustainable development, particularly in a context of dwindling funding.
Yet in practice, this potential remains greatly underutilized.
On 18 November 2025, the International Institute of Social Studies hosted the event ‘Diaspora Entrepreneurship in Frugal Innovation’ – a joint collaboration between the African Diaspora Policy Centre (ADPC), Africa in Motion, the International Centre for Frugal Innovation (ICFI) and ISS.
The event focused on strategies to increase the engagement of diaspora entrepreneurs in SME development in Africa and in the Dutch development ecosystem, moving beyond the current fragmented and small-scale efforts that often remain under the radar.
In an afternoon filled with energetic discussion, a diverse group of diaspora entrepreneurs, researchers from ISS and the Rotterdam School of Management and representatives from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW) and Invest International sat together to discuss policy and practical experiences and identify challenges and opportunities to scale-up diaspora engagement, focusing on:
- Funding challenges and structural barriers faced by diaspora entrepreneurs in accessing finance
- Bridging diaspora entrepreneurs with Dutch SMEs to jointly create new products and sustainable businesses
With the objective of connecting people and ideas, the event was a first step toward building stronger alliances and collaborative initiatives to scale up diaspora engagement
Contact
For more information about this initiative, please contact:
Peter KnorringaEmail address
Adinda CeelenEmail address
- Related links
- International Centre for Frugal Innovation