NSP - Solar Pump

The case focuses on an Austrian start-up, NSP, which has madecombating water poverty its mission. According to the United Nations, around800 million people still have no access to clean drinking water. NSP wasfounded by Dietmar Stuck in 2010. He has developed a new type of solar pumpingstation which meets the basic needs of people in South Africa and suits localconditions. In February 2012 the first pump unit was set up in Mozambique incollaboration with World Vision. Dietmar has already won several awards for hisinnovative pump design, which has motivated him to proceed further with hisbusiness idea. The case demonstrates the challenges facing a sociallyresponsible entrepreneur who addresses basic needs, and raises questions aboutbusiness model development and the financing of social ventures.

The case is intended to be used on undergraduate andgraduate-level courses in entrepreneurship and strategic management. In anundergraduate program this case can be used as an example of socialentrepreneurship and of business model development for social ventures. On agraduate level (MA/MBA) programme the focus could be on the strategic planningprocess