Accelerator Labs are currently operating in 70% of countries identified as crisis settings, representing a significant presence in fragile environments. Notably, 23% of all AccLab capacity is embedded in crisis-affected countries, with half of them located in Africa and the Middle East. This distribution underscores the growing recognition that innovation is not a luxury, but a necessity in fragile contexts where conventional approaches break down.
The Accelerator Labs’ engagement begins with fostering a culture of experimentation and learning—mobilizing governments, communities, and local ecosystems to prototype solutions in volatile environments. Through methodologies like systems thinking, ethnographic research, and rapid prototyping, the Labs nurture resilience by exploring what works, for whom, and under what conditions.
Frontlines of Innovation: Thematic Pathways Shaping R&D in Crisis Settings
This research document explores how R&D is applied in crisis settings by the Accelerator Labs, and is organized around six thematic clusters that reflect both the priorities of local communities and the broader development challenges accelerated by crisis. All thematic areas explored in this research are interconnected threads woven into the broader pursuit of resilience and adaptive development in crisis-affected settings. Whether addressing energy innovation, urban systems, social cohesion, or digital inclusion, these themes reflect how the Accelerator Labs navigate the complexities of fragile environments. Crucially, each thematic focus stems from a foundational shift: promoting a culture of Research and Development (R&D) that embraces experimentation, grassroots intelligence, and learning-by-doing.
This shift is not incidental. In the absence of stable systems, the Labs fostered new ways of listening, testing, and adapting—creating local intelligence cycles that help communities co-develop fit-for-context solutions. The thematic areas that emerged were not pre-imposed, but surfaced organically through bottom-up exploration and continuous sensemaking. Importantly, no theme stands alone: food security links with governance, digital innovation supports social cohesion, and waste systems shape urban resilience. This interdependence reinforces the Labs’ belief that R&D in crisis settings is a systems challenge—requiring agility, contextual depth, and above all, a culture open to experimentation.
- Sustaining Life Systems in Crisis. (Water management, biodiversity and food security, and new energy sources) Tackling environmental degradation and ensuring access to basic resources.
- Reclaiming Civic Space (Local governance, social justice, and social cohesion) Supporting the restoration of civic trust and participatory governance.
- Crisis-Digital Nexus. (Digital transformation as an enabler for financial inclusion, education and public services) Enabling equity through low-cost, context-sensitive technology.
- Unlocking Informal Economies in Crisis. (Entrepreneurship, informal economy, and sustainable tourism) Enhancing livelihoods in the absence of formal markets.
- Crisis Adaptive Urbans. (Urban resilience, waste management, informal housing and human mobility) Innovating where public systems collapse and community systems rise.
- Fostering Experimentation and a Learning Mindset in Crisis Response. (Promoting R&D culture) Building adaptive capacities that thrive on local insight and experimentation.
What We’ve Learned: Insights from Innovation in Crisis Contexts
- Innovation Thrives in Crisis: Local ingenuity and informal innovation flourish even in highly volatile environments.
- Thematic Focus Reflects Crisis Needs: R&D activities aligned closely with urgent local challenges—ranging from disrupted services and governance gaps to food, energy, and mobility crises.
- Tools Adapted for Volatility: Methods like systems mapping, crowdsourcing, prototyping, and HCD were tailored for agility, rapid insight, and community engagement in unstable environments.
- Co-Creation is Crucial: Partnerships with local actors enabled Labs to work around institutional fragility and resource gaps.
- Waste, Mobility and Fin Tech are Cross-Cutting: Frequently emerged as systemic challenges and entry points across different contexts.
- Learning Culture is Transformative: Labs with strong experimentation mindsets adapted faster and delivered deeper insights.
- Crisis Labs Need Flexibility: Success required agile funding, simplified monitoring, and tolerance for failure.
- Digital Transformation as a Resilience Enabler: Digital tools supported access to essential services, proving vital where physical infrastructure was compromised.
1No poverty
5Gender equality
8Decent work and economic growth
15Life on land
17Partnerships for the goals
4Quality education
14Life below water
9Industry, innovation and infrastructure
10Reduced innequalities
3Good health and well-being
