679: Director of the K. Lisa Yang Global Engineering and Research Center at MIT, Amos Winter on Global by Design

Amos Winter, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the K. Lisa Yang Global Engineering and Research Center at MIT, explains how innovators can create high-performance, affordable products for resource-constrained communities and adapt them for global markets. Drawing on Global by Design, co-authored with Vijay Govindarajan, he brings together product design, engineering science, market knowledge, and business strategy.

Amos traces this work to a study of wheelchair use in Tanzania. People in rural areas needed a wheelchair that could travel long distances over rough terrain while remaining compact enough for indoor use. Products developed for wealthier countries were often too expensive or insufficiently robust. The resulting Leveraged Freedom Chair later provided the foundation for the Grit Freedom Chair in the United States.

The conversation examines three forms of merit that help innovators choose worthwhile problems. Problem merit asks whether solving a challenge would meaningfully benefit a substantial population and support a business opportunity. Innovation merit determines whether the problem genuinely requires innovation rather than adaptation, charity, or another mechanism. Value merit aligns the interests of customers and producers so that adoption can occur at scale.

This evaluation should precede the technology. Amos cautions against "creating a hammer and then going and finding a nail." A stronger approach begins by identifying the full set of requirements, then combining market insight with technical analysis. Market knowledge reveals what users and operating environments demand; engineering science explains the limitations of existing products and suggests how a better solution might work.

The Leveraged Freedom Chair illustrates how this approach supports expansion across markets. In developing countries, bicycle parts made the chair affordable and locally repairable. American users valued the same lever-powered drivetrain but needed a collapsible frame that could fit inside a car. The core value remained consistent, while selected features changed with local requirements.

Amos contrasts the Honda Super Cub with the Tata Nano to show why excellent engineering does not guarantee adoption. Honda combined low cost and reliability with an accessible, aspirational identity. The Nano was an impressive engineering achievement, but positioning it as the world's cheapest car weakened its appeal. Concerns about status and perceived