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.

The Response Innovation Lab (RIL), in partnership with Field Ready for Humanitarian Innovation and World Vision Syria Response, with generous support from World Vision Hong Kong, is proud to launch a pioneering new initiative: the E-Waste Challenge in Aleppo.

This project is designed to empower local innovators, students, repair technicians, startups, engineers, NGOs, community-based organizations, academics, and private sector actors to co-create solutions that recycle and repurpose electronic waste. The initiative combines training, collaboration, and financial support to ensure that promising ideas can move from concept to reality.

Syria Response Innovation Lab (RIL)—in partnership with Shafak Organization, World Vision Syria Response (WVSR), and Field Ready Middle East, and in close collaboration with the Food Security Cluster (FS Cluster)—is proud to announce the launch of a new pilot project: “Conservation Agriculture – Towards a Sustainable Agricultural Future.”

The project is being implemented in Al-Bab, rural Aleppo, an area heavily impacted by climate change and food insecurity. It represents the first pilot in Northwest Syria designed to introduce conservation agriculture as a climate-adaptive farming technique.

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.

The highlights of Response Innovation Lab’s 2024, across the globe.

Recognising the challenge brought by food insecurity, the Syria Response Innovation Lab (RIL), in collaboration with Field Ready Middle East, World Vision Syria Response (WVSR), and the Food Security Cluster (FS Cluster), organized two back-to-back workshops—one in Gaziantep, Türkiye, and another in Northwest Syria at the RIL. These workshops provided a platform for frontline responders to voice challenges, exchange insights, and collaboratively design solutions, fostering local ownership.

Join us online or in person for a 90-minute session to explore the current social innovation ecosystem and pathways between local communities in areas affected by crisis and the national humanitarian and innovation hubs.

Watch the impact video telling the story of OGOW Health - supported by RIL - and how it contributes to heath care in Somalia.