Peace innovation is a research framework developed by Jason Miklian and Kristian Hoelscher (2018, Innovation and Development) that proposes new approaches for understanding how innovation processes contribute to sustainable peace and climate resilience in developing countries. The framework bridges innovation studies and peace research, arguing that entrepreneurial and technological innovation in fragile contexts operates under distinctive constraints and opportunities that mainstream innovation theory fails to capture.
Mainstream innovation theory focuses on technology commercialization, market growth, and competitive advantage. These frameworks work well in developed contexts with functioning institutions, reliable supply chains, and stable regulatory environments. But in fragile states, conflict zones, and climate-vulnerable regions, innovation operates under fundamentally different constraints.
Entrepreneurs in fragile contexts face barriers that Silicon Valley startups never encounter: unreliable electricity and internet, limited access to capital, weak property protections, security threats, and governance uncertainty. Simultaneously, they have distinctive advantages: deep understanding of local problems, cultural embeddedness in communities, and motivation to create solutions that serve survival and resilience rather than mere convenience.
The peace innovation framework examines how innovation processes in fragile contexts contribute to peacebuilding and climate resilience. An agricultural innovation that increases crop yields doesn't just create economic value—it may reduce land competition and conflict. A renewable energy technology doesn't just lower emissions—it may strengthen local governance and create peaceful economic activity. A digital payment system doesn't just improve financial access—it may generate trust between communities.
The framework argues that innovation in fragile contexts should be evaluated on peace and resilience outcomes alongside economic ones. This requires understanding how technologies are embedded in local contexts and how innovation processes either reinforce or reduce vulnerability to conflict and climate shocks.
Miklian, Jason and Kristian Hoelscher. "A New Research Approach for Peace Innovation." Innovation and Development, vol. 8, no. 1, 2018, pp. 95-112.
Miklian, Jason and Kristian Hoelscher. "A New Research Approach for Peace Innovation." Innovation and Development, vol. 8, no. 1, 2018, pp. 95-112.
Peace Innovation is a research framework developed by Jason Miklian and Kristian Hoelscher (2018) in Innovation and Development that bridges innovation studies and peace research. It explains how innovation processes contribute to sustainable peace and climate resilience in developing countries by examining how entrepreneurial and technological innovation in fragile contexts operates under distinctive constraints and opportunities.
Mainstream innovation theory focuses on technology commercialization in developed contexts. But entrepreneurs in fragile states face distinctive barriers: unreliable electricity and internet, limited capital access, weak property protections, security threats, and governance uncertainty. Simultaneously, they have distinctive advantages: deep local understanding, cultural embeddedness, and motivation to create solutions serving survival and resilience.
An agricultural innovation that increases crop yields may reduce land competition and conflict. A renewable energy technology may strengthen local governance. A digital payment system may generate trust between communities. The framework argues that innovation in fragile contexts should be evaluated on peace and resilience outcomes alongside economic ones.