Grassroots innovation in indigenous regions: intermediaries and critical niches in Oaxaca, Mexico

<p dir="ltr">This dissertation investigates the role of innovation intermediation in grassroots innovation movements within indigenous territories in Oaxaca, Mexico. It explores how intermediaries promote innovation while supporting the distinct cultural and social objectives of populations in these historically marginalised territories. The research draws conceptually on existing studies of grassroots innovation movements, innovation intermediaries and niche analyses in socio-technical transitions.</p><p dir="ltr">Through qualitative analysis, participant observation, content analysis, and in-depth interviews [n=31], I investigate 3 case studies of intermediaries on grassroots innovation movements. These studies are household-appropriate technologies, mobile phone networks, and community radios; each illustrates different facets of intermediation in grassroots innovation. To analyse these, I utilise an analytical framework based on Strategic Niche Management (SNM), which uses a pragmatic rationale for scaling up innovation. Additionally, I employ Critical Niche Analysis (CNA), a novel perspective that focuses on transformative politics and addressing diverse innovation rationales.</p><p dir="ltr">The findings show that intermediaries are not just facilitators but play a critical role in promoting innovation in indigenous regions, among others, by repurposing technologies, promoting reflexivity for advancing communities on their own terms, and broadening the socio-cultural complexity of innovation agendas. Above all, the results show that grassroots intermediaries have been key actors in building bridges between grassroots efforts, communities and mainstream innovation actors and institutions, contributing to solving the lack of connectivity with other communities and innovation resource providers. However, intermediaries also face great challenges in sustaining their efforts due to the widespread informality of the sector and lack of support from ill-functioning innovation institutions. Furthermore, intermediaries face issues of balancing pragmatic agendas for expanding innovation niches and accurate representation of indigenous discourses and objectives.</p><p dir="ltr">The dissertation concludes by arguing for more inclusive and culturally sensitive frameworks to address indigenous contexts and contributes to a critical interpretation of intermediation and socio-technical niches in the global South.</p>