RILx25 brought together 130 participants from 35 countries, representing humanitarian agencies, local and national NGOs, regional impact networks, social enterprises, innovation hubs, entrepreneurship support organisations, impact investment, and philanthropic organisations, academic and public institutes. The event was organised in collaboration with Superpool and IFDO, with the generous support of Danish Refugee Council, Elrha, Grand Challenges Canada, the Oxfam Novib HST-LHL programme, and Save the Children International. Check out the takeaways from RILx25 and get inspired on how to prepare for the next “crossroads”.

On November 27th, the Uganda RIL & Start Network brought together diverse actors from five countries for a dialogue on the future of humanitarian research & innovation. Using Elrha's Futures Toolkit, participants mapped pathways to resilience and relevance amidst uncertainty.

Bilow Capital is an innovation project supported by the Somali Response Innovation Lab through the FIRM Challenge 2024. In this piece, Co-founder and General Partner Hana Kaise Abdi—also a speaker at RILx25 on the “Local Innovation Ecosystems” panel—shares her insights on what it takes for a local innovation ecosystem to truly thrive.

A small milestone and recognition we achieved in Jordan!

Climate-smart agriculture isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a lifeline for farmers on the frontlines of climate change. In this piece from a South Sudan perspective, we explore what truly makes a solution “climate-smart,” from boosting productivity and resilience to cutting emissions and protecting natural resources. We look at which food-system actors can drive this shift, what farmers in resource-poor, climate-affected areas are actually asking for, and whether current innovations match their needs.

Response Innovation Lab will partner with the International Forum for Development Organizations for their event “Development Partners… Winning Partners” in Beirut this year, taking place from December 11 to 13.  

We kicked off the first national dialogue session on the future of research and innovation in humanitarian action in Al-Azraq. The session was organized by the Response Innovation Lab in partnership with Al-Azraq Alive, and we were honored to have the Mayor of Al-Azraq join us, this gathering came as part of the Jordan Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) activities.

With the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at RIL’s annual event, RILx25, in Istanbul, Rwanga Foundation officially joins the RIL global network as an Affiliate Facility. Affiliate Facilities share RIL’s vision of developing inclusive and collaborative innovation ecosystems, while combining their local expertise and institutional strengths with RIL’s methodologies. Rwanga Foundation becomes RIL’s fourth Affiliate Facility, following the ones in Jordan, Nepal, and Puerto Rico.

#PostRILx25 brings highlights and resources from the discussions, speakers, and partners. Today’s piece is brought to you by Disya Marianty, Pujiono Centre - Co-Coordinator of the Indonesia Localisation Lab, under the Indonesia Development-Humanitarian Alliance (ID-HA) , an interim secretariat of the Indonesian Humanitarian Coordination Platform (IHCP) .

We hosted the 2025 edition of our annual event RILx in Istanbul from October 15-17, this year under the theme “Humanitarian Innovation at the Crossroads: New Solutions for Ecosystems in Crisis,” with a dual focus on localization and climate adaptation. Three days of open conversations, cross-sector learning, and genuine connections in Istanbul brought together over 130 participants from around the world, spanning international and local NGOs, social enterprises, institutional donors, foundations, academia, entrepreneurship support organisations, public institutes, and impact networks. Check out the snapshots from RILx25!

An inspiring story of Navjot and The Washing Machine Project, and his messages to the next-gen innovators and the broader humanitarian innovation ecosystem.

Great news from Khalid Hashi, an innovator we’ve been proud to support over the years!
The Obama Foundation has just announced that Khalid will join its eighth cohort of Obama Scholars — a group of 11 emerging leaders from around the world who will participate in the program at Columbia University in New York City.

The Syria Response Innovation Lab (SyRIL) invites Syrian innovators, entrepreneurs, start-ups, students, and professionals to submit their creative solutions to humanitarian challenges.

 This initiative seeks to bridge entrepreneurial thinking with humanitarian needs—amplifying innovative ideas made by Syrians, for Syrians, and connecting them with global decision-makers, donors, and innovation agencies.

Watch the recording of the IGNITE Food Systems Challenge Demo Day to hear from the innovators: an opportunity for you to take away the lessons learned from our community innovators and gain insights on Somalia’s food systems!

We have successfully delivered the first round of the training series under the Oxfam Novib program “Humanitarian System Transformation through Local Humanitarian Leadership”! Together, we unpacked the structural challenges around capacity and risk sharing, and explored how innovation can be a practical tool to rethink the way we work — from the ground up.

What can you learn? A breakdown of ecosystem components and their relevance to innovation in humanitarian settings; Case studies from Syria and Uganda offering real-world examples of ecosystem mapping and engagement; Tools and frameworks from the RIL to help practitioners identify and strengthen key relationships, flows, and enabling conditions in their contexts….and more!

Call for Ugandan- and Refugee-Led Tech & AI Innovations! Applications are open for the Uganda 2025 RIL Innovation Support Cohort, a 5-day bootcamp designed to strengthen the capacity of innovators working in humanitarian response. Check out our requirements and apply now!

We will see you in Istanbul from October 15 to 17! This year, we will explore together “Humanitarian Systems Transformation” and “Climate Adaptation in Fragile Settings”.

As StartupBlink’s Ecosystem Partner, Somali Response Innovation Lab is happy to share that Somalia reclaims its spot in the Global Top 100 Startup Ecosystem, ranked by StartupBlink in 2025. Somalia now ranks 13th place in Africa and 4th in Eastern Africa!

Response Innovation Lab hosted a session on “The Missing Link: Connecting Community-Led Innovation Initiatives with National and Global Social Innovation Ecosystems in Humanitarian Settings“ in Geneva, on March 26.