Frugal Innovation and Sustainable Mobility: Low-Tech Pathways Toward a Sober and Equitable Future

Abstract

Achieving sustainable mobility has become a critical challenge for modern cities facing environmental, economic, and social pressures. This research investigates how frugal innovation contributes to the acceptability of sustainable mobility solutions through three key mediating mechanisms: technological appropriation, social innovation, and urban resilience. Empirical data were collected through a quantitative survey conducted among 270 respondents in the Greater Agadir area and analyzed using linear regression and mediation models. The results indicate that frugal innovation significantly enhances both technological appropriation and social innovation, whereas its direct contribution to urban resilience remains relatively weak. Nonetheless, the acceptability of sustainable mobility is largely driven by indirect effects operating through the three mediators, confirming a full mediation structure. Moreover, multiple regression analysis reveals that technological appropriation emerges as the most influential determinant of acceptability. These findings underline the importance of integrated strategies that combine technological adaptation, community involvement, and resilience-building to support inclusive and sustainable urban mobility policies.

Keywords: frugal innovation, sustainable mobility, Greater Agadir.