AbstractsEngineering

A good product does not guarantee its successful adoption. This can be seen in a project in rural Ethiopia, in which a new type of house provides great advantages over current housing alternatives. This thesis, which focuses on the Sustainable Rural Dwelling Unit project in Ethiopia, aims to contribute knowledge about how to implement rural-housing innovations successfully. Interviews with the project’s stakeholders show that although a construction concept is a genuine breakthrough, its diffusion process may stumble. Successful diffusion of a housing innovation appears to depend on wider factors. Two success factors identified here are: (1) to analyse the innovation’s attributes, and (2) to analyse the interests of stakeholders. Furthermore, these successful practices are possible with analysis tools that are exemplified in the thesis. The needs for clear communication among stakeholders, and for identifying contradictory implementation strategies, were identified to be important elements for successful innovation diffusion. Another conclusion of this thesis is that the studied project both has great potential for future rural housing in Ethiopia and is relevant for other developing countries where there is a need for durable, higher-standard, low-cost housing.