Publication: Do mLabs Make a Difference? : A Holistic Outcome Assessment of infoDev's Mobile Entrepreneurship Enablers
Date
2014
ISSN
Published
2014
Author(s)
World Bank
Abstract
This report is an assessment of the
overall effects of infoDevapos;s mobile application labs
(mLabs). mLabs are specialized mobile business incubation
and acceleration facilities offering physical workspace,
mentoring and coaching, devices for mobile application
testing, training, and startup competitions. mLabs were
designed as pilot projects under the Creating Sustainable
Businesses in the Knowledge Economy (CSBKE) program and have
since become part of infoDevapos;s Mobile Innovation
Program. The Outcome Assessment compares mLabs results
against the original program objectives. At the outset, the
goal for mLabs was to derive and test new approaches that
would quot;1) increase the competitiveness of innovative
enterprises in the mobile industry, and 2) ensure that
locally relevant applications are created to meet growing
developing country user demands.quot; Within the three-year
project implementation period, the pilots were expected to
quot;generate 8-10 mobile applications; increase the
commercialization rate of applications that have the
potential for significant development impact; and increase
the scale and competitiveness of innovative mobile
applications enterprises leading to greater reach to
disadvantaged populations.quot; The design and testing of
mLabs started in 2010. In accordance to the original
objectives, the assessment examines mLabsapos; effects on
startup creation and development (as the best available
proxy measures of increased competitiveness in mobile
application enterprises) and the development impact
generated through the use of applications developed by
mLab-supported developers and entrepreneurs, including the
number of relevant applications. The assessment also
includes an analysis of mLabsapos; effects on
entrepreneurial ecosystems, since anecdotal evidence
previous to the assessment pointed towards potentially
substantial effects that were not originally envisioned
under the CSBKE program.lt;BRgt;
Citation
“World Bank. 2014. Do mLabs Make a Difference? : A Holistic Outcome Assessment of infoDev's Mobile Entrepreneurship Enablers. © Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/20810 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”