Inclusive business beyond borders: The role of innovation intermediaries in market integration for the Base-of-the-Pyramid

I investigated how cross-border partnerships that link European companies with low-income markets in the Global South can move beyond project-based collaboration to become engines of innovation and system change. Drawing on four case studies in Kenya and Nigeria—in the coffee, cocoa, dairy, and seed potato sectors—the research uncovers the often-invisible work of innovation intermediaries: organizations that make these partnerships succeed by connecting diverse actors, bridging institutional and cultural divides, and sustaining collaboration when interests or contexts shift. Rather than simply coordinating activities, they shape how inclusive business models emerge, adapt, and take root in local food systems. The study shows that real progress toward inclusive and sustainable food systems depends on the capacity of these intermediaries to turn collaboration into continuous learning and innovation, enabling partnerships to adapt, scale, and transform the way food markets serve low-income communities.