Frugal Innovation for Sustainable Futures

Minor

Courses and course descriptions are subject to change.

Leiden-Delft-Rotterdam (LDE) Minor Frugal Innovation for Sustainable Futures, 2025/2026

How can we ensure a humane livelihood for all while respecting planetary boundaries? There is no single answer to this question. Sustainable futures take different forms across regions, societies, and communities. Thinking and acting on sustainability requires navigating ambiguity and complexity.

This multidisciplinary Leiden-Delft-Erasmus minor explores the role of frugal innovation and frugality in shaping sustainable futures across the globe. Frugality is about doing more with less—being resourceful, efficient, and intentional in how we use materials, energy, and knowledge. Across cultures and traditions, frugality has long been seen as a way to balance human needs with environmental constraints. In innovation, this mindset translates into frugal innovation: creating simple, affordable, and effective solutions to pressing challenges in healthcare, water, energy, housing, and agrifood.

By minimizing resource use while maintaining impact, frugal innovations offer a promising approach to economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Since the early 2010s, this concept has gained traction among academics and policymakers as a powerful driver of sustainable development.

In the first part of this minor, you will explore different perspectives on frugality and frugal innovation through the lenses of technology (design & engineering), entrepreneurship & business, and human progress & sustainability. In the second part, you will apply your knowledge in practice: for 10 weeks, you will work in a small multidisciplinary team on a real-life frugal innovation challenge—either in the Netherlands or abroad. This field assignment allows you to combine insights from your own study background with hands-on experience.

Beyond subject knowledge, this minor will help you develop essential 21st-century skills: dealing with uncertainty, critical thinking, negotiating, building trust, and teamwork. These skills are crucial for shaping sustainable change—because transformation happens through the collective effort of individuals working together.

Are you eager to dive into a cutting-edge approach to innovation? Do you want to explore how frugality and frugal innovation can drive sustainability? And are you up for an international, real-life challenge?

If so, this LDE minor is for you! We work in small groups to enhance your learning experience. Join us and become part of the future of frugal innovation.

Maximum number of students: 40

Prospectus number: 5000MFRINN

Language: English

Registration: via EduXchange see More Info

15 May (13:00hrs) until 30 June 2025

TUD and EUR students 15 May (13:00hrs) to 31 May 2024

Courses

Vak	EC	Semester 1	Semester 2
Frugal Innovation and Entrepreneurship	3
Frugal Innovation for Development	4
Bootcamp	5
Frugal Innovation and Technology	3
Frugal Innovation in Practice	15

Target Group

Enrollments are open to all final year Bachelor's students from Leiden University, TU Delft and Erasmus University Rotterdam, who are interested in this emerging field of study, regardless of study and disciplinary background. This minor especially targets students who want to link their study with tackling concrete societal challenges.

Although not exclusive the minor is in particular attractive for students of anthropology and sociology, area studies, biology, development, global challenges, urbanisation, politics and international relations, economics, business studies, law, health, water, building sciences, industrial design, computer science and engineering, life science and technology, technology and innovation (management) studies, etc.

In general, students who are up for a multidisciplinary challenge and see the mutual benefit of integrating social, entrepreneurial and technological knowledge and skills are encourage to apply. Students with diverse interests and backgrounds ensure insightful cross-disciplinary interaction.

Students have to follow and complete the full 30 ECTS of this LDE minor. In case your studies does not allow you to follow a 30 EC Minor, but you are still interested, you are strongly advised to contact your studies coordinator before applying, to explore the possibility to complete the whole minor. Our experience is that in most cases this can be arranged.

Take note: This minor requires full-time study from September 2025 until the last week of January in 2026. Experiences of students in previous editions of the minor show that it is difficult to combine participation in this minor with other studies or retake exams. The minor forms a continuous program with its own assignment rhythm including the field assignment, in which for reasons of group cohesion and collaboration, a partial stay either in the Netherlands or abroad is not allowed.

The minor has a layered first come first serve admission procedure. A maximum of 40 students- equally distributed among the three LDE universities will be admitted and an equal distribution among disciplines will be aimed for. Enrollments have to be submitted via EduXchange from 15 May together with a Background and Commitment Form and CV submitted in minorfrugalinnovation@asc.leidenuniv.nl

Request an eduID account to register in EduXchange. On how to do it, watch Explore & register for your minor via eduXchange

Incomplete or late enrollments will not be taken into consideration! Successful candidates will be informed before the end of June 2025

More info

Extent: 30 ECs spread over 1 semester NB. The minor cannot be taken in a 15EC variant
Intended for: 3rd and 4th year bachelor students at Leiden University, Delft University of Technology, and Erasmus University Rotterdam
Language of instruction: English
Education coordinator: Madi Ditmars
Academic coordinator: Dr. André Leliveld

Further information: See the following websites

[www.icfi.nl](https://www.icfi.nl/education https://www.ascleiden.nl/content/education) LDE joint minors

Although the minor description is synchronised between the LEI, TUD and EUR prospectuses it may take some time. For all purposes the description in this Leiden e-prospectus is leading.

Board of Examiners: African Studies
Education Committee: African Studies BA
Further questions: minorfrugalinnovation@asc.leidenuniv.nl

Registration:
LEI, TUD and EUR students 15 May until 30 June 2025 via EduXchange.
Enrollments have to be submitted via EduXchange from 15 May together with a Background and Commitment Form and CV submitted in minorfrugalinnovation@asc.leidenuniv.nl
From July, register separately for the courses via MyStudymap (only applies to LEI students!)
Guest students will be helped with their course enrollment.