If2013 presentation template tcm

Technology and Innovation and Inclusive Business

PREPARED FOR INOTEK – 2013 INNOVATOR FORUM BY RIS SUKARMA, YAYASAN TIRTA INDONESIA MANDIRI

Jakarta, 10 October 2013

Technology and Innovation (1)“Engineers’ Dreams”

• an inspiring book by Willy Ley, 1954

Engineer versus Economist• engineer is pushing the gas pedal:

“sky has no limit”

• economist is pushing the break pedal: “sky is the limit”

Innovation• put things in perspective• brings the technology down to earth: simple yet

functioning, affordable

Technology and Innovation (2) To put in (my) context:

• Henry Doulton (1827) invented ceramic pot for treating dirty Thames river water into drinkable water - invention

• Fernando Mazariegos (1981) modified Doulton’s filter into low-cost, affordable ceramic pot filter - innovation

Here comes the secret!• A proper mix of clay and combustible material, and a

proper firing that made the filter functioning, a painful process…

“Edison made 1000 bulbs and only one that gives light”

Innovation and Business “The bulb story”:Henry Woodward and Matthew Evans patented a light

bulb in 1875, but they could not raise the financing to commercialize their invention

Edison’s lamp became the first commercially successful incandescent lamp (circa 1879), and still in use today

“Innovation should lead to commercial establishment to be sustainable, in contributing to people’s wealth”

Technology and Innovation and Inclusive Business (1)

The story behind TCM ceramic water filter:• Limited access to water, especially the poor families• No other options except bottled water and refilled water

(not afforded, too expensive even for common people)


The inspiring experience:• Success stories on ceramic water filter production

and distribution in Cambodia (visited in March 2009)• Appropriate, low-cost technology• Open source technology• Responding to people’s basic needs• For poor families as well as others in general• Within affordability level


The first initiative…• Desk studies (end 2007-2008)• Studied existing reports/researches• Visited Delft University (March 2008)• Published articles and presented in seminars/conferences

to gain responses

• Setting up factory (mid 2008)• Utilizing ex-car repair workshop, using kiln belonging to a

potter in Plered (center for pottery)• Moving the factory and constructing own kiln (Nov 2010)


Further development…• Established a Foundation (June 2009)• Named Yayasan Tirta Indonesia Mandiri• To provide legal basis for the activities (production,

distribution, marketing, cooperation with other parties)

• Pilot production continued, a painful process…• Testing out different composition of clay and risk husk• Carrying out laboratory tests for filtered water


Receiving external assistance…• Joined Potter-without-Border, a non-profit

organization promoting ceramic water filter, based in Canada (June 2011)• Received grant funding and support from INOTEK

(Sept 2012)• Obtaining marketing support from BIC/WKI (Feb-Mar

2013) by showing off products in a number of malls in Jakarta


The challenges…• The product: the filter is brittle enough to be transported at

far distance (experience with KOPERNIK and MAP Int’l)• A new, improved model is being developed, slimmer and more robust

• The user: obtaining trust from the people• People needs to be convinced that filtered water is drinkable

• The market: defining the market • So far relying on conventional marketing strategy• Fulfilling the demand of poor families through NGOs (e.g., Habitat for

Humanity) and humanitarian organizations (e.g., Indonesian Red Cross/ PMI)


The way forward…• Continue to improve the product’s quality• Defining the market more specifically• Building the network through franchising• More marketing efforts • Building people’s trust• Attending exhibitions• Developing promotions through workshops/seminars

• Obtaining feedback from the existing users


Pictorial records…TCM

Ceramic Filter

“Sesegar air kendi…”

Yayasan Tirta Indonesia Mandiriwww.tirtacupumanik.com

TERIMA KASIH