Innovating for the humanitarian field: the case of the MSF Foundation

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is now one of the largest international NGOs, operating in dozens of countries and employing over 67,000 people. The needs encountered in the field are immense, and some raise questions that existing technological solutions have not yet addressed. The MSF Foundation is a modest organisation, dedicated to the field, which operates on two complementary fronts: the development of innovations, often based on cutting-edge technologies; and critical analysis, driven by its think tank, Crash, which analyses operational practices and facilitates often sensitive debates on issues facing the humanitarian sector. With nearly a decade of experience, the Foundation is now seeing some of its projects enter the global roll-out phase, both within and outside MSF, whilst many others remain at an exploratory stage. This account illustrates an original model of innovation and provides an opportunity to discuss its main issues and challenges.