In January, 2000, shortly after the working paper written by C. K. Prahalad and Stuart L. Hart, called ‘Strategies for the Bottom of the Pyramid: Creating Sustainable Development’ –which would provide a basis for the paper published by those authors in 2002 entitled “The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid”-, one of the most important milestones in the development of this conceptualization occurred: Professor Stuart Hart developed the first “learning laboratory” at the University of North Carolina, USA (transferred to Cornell University in 2004).  This learning lab would give rise to an International network of laboratories, including this Lab developed by the Center for the Study of Corporate Sustainability.

This Network is sponsored and coordinated by Stuart Hart, head of the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise at Cornell University (USA), one of the major thinkers on the implications of sustainable development for the business strategy.

The Global Lab Network is made up of 15 labs in America, Africa, Asia, and Europe, and more than 40 experts in both economic development and business strategy.

The Global Lab Network is a learning community consisting of academics, professionals, and business executives, interested in gaining and disseminating knowledge on the concepts, theories and practices related to building opportunities at the base of the pyramid.  The Global Network works to identify and implement jointly created solutions to generate new value creation opportunities for companies, and, in turn, to foster profound human development in the poorest communities.

As it is an active member of the Network, the BoP Learning Lab developed in Argentina has access to the latest news and research on this subject matter, participates in world forums, shares it experiences and research with other members, and has access to political and business leaders at a worldwide level, exchanging knowledge and opinions.