Bridging Innovation and Collaboration: The Partnership Catalyst in Kathmandu

Earlier this month, we hosted an innovation sprint in Kathmandu as part of the Partnership Catalyst, an initiative developed in close collaboration with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Embassy of Switzerland in Nepal. At the core of this initiative is the Research and Innovation Sprint, where we brought together three Swiss companies and three Nepali companies, facilitating a four-day, hands-on workshop to explore and develop digital solutions for pressing challenges in Nepal.

The Context: Digital Innovation for Growth and Inclusion

The Partnership Catalyst was conceived as part of DIGI Nepal, an SDC-led project aimed at fostering digital innovation to improve access to affordable basic services, particularly for discriminated groups and communities outside the capital, Kathmandu. Nepal’s unique topography presents structural challenges—limited accessibility, high transportation costs, and constraints on business expansion. However, digital technology has been recognized as a key enabler, offering new ways to overcome these hurdles. Building on the findings of an SDC landscape study, we identified three key focus areas with high potential for impact:

• Financial Services (Fintech)
• Healthcare
• Food-Related Logistics and Agriculture

We then conducted a structured selection process, identifying Swiss and Nepali companies with complementary expertise in these fields. The result was three strategic partnerships, each bringing together one Swiss and one Nepali company, with the aim of co-creating solutions tailored to Nepal’s context.

The Sprint: A Structured Approach to Co-Creation

The four-day Research and Innovation Sprint in Kathmandu was designed using Design Thinking principles to foster collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving.

• Day 1: Team Building & Foundations
  • The first day was dedicated to establishing trust, shared values, and a collaborative mindset. Creating an environment of psychological safety and mutual understanding was key to setting the stage for the co-creation process.
• Day 2: Field Research & Insights
  • The teams embarked on extensive field research, visiting stakeholders, conducting interviews, and observing real-world challenges in their respective focus areas. This allowed them to collect firsthand insights, which were later synthesized into structured findings.
• Day 3: Ideation & Prototyping
  • Using the research findings, the teams engaged in a structured ideation process, developing and refining low-resolution prototypes of potential solutions. This hands-on approach allowed them to visualize, test, and iterate ideas rapidly.
• Day 4: Next Steps & Roadmap
  • On the final day, the teams continued to work on their solutions and outlined a roadmap for further development, defining concrete next steps for refining their prototypes and testing them with potential users or beneficiaries.

Looking Ahead: The Next Phase of Collaboration

The sprint marked the beginning of an ongoing collaboration. Over the next few months, the teams will refine and test their solutions, supported by bilateral check-ins with the CSI-HSG team. A hybrid sprint is planned after three months of testing, where teams will come together again to address specific challenges that emerge during the piloting phase.

Participants: Building Partnerships for Digital Innovation

The workshop was facilitated by Dino Darmonski and Justus von Grone from the CSI-HSG, with participation from the following company partnerships:

• Fintech: Aria Technologies (Bibhor Kayastha, Raj Kumar Shrestha, Ajit Dhuman, Roshani Kapali; Nepal) & Alvra Labs (Lukas Hug, Ákos Maróy; Switzerland)
• Healthcare: Health at Home (Bishal Dhakal; Nepal) & heyPatient (Matthias Spuehler, Regula Spuehler; Switzerland)
• Food-Related Logistics: NAXA (Uttam Pudasaini, Anupama Aryal, Kumar Paudel, Punam Sherpa; Nepal) & AgriCircle (Trupthi Narayan; Switzerland)

This first sprint was a crucial step in fostering long-term partnerships between Swiss and Nepali companies. We look forward to seeing the teams continue their collaboration, refine their solutions, and ultimately contribute to the broader goals of DIGI Nepal.