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AgilisColdBoxEiREngineering Humanitarian ActionGeneva Technical
HubGlobalDiagnostiXGlobal Healthy StartsGlobalNeoNatGlobalO2Hello MaskIDAIR
PathfinderMine Action ProgrammeRen’AllSafeStartSmartPPEsmartCervix
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HARNESSING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TO DRIVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, HUMANITARIAN
ACTION AND PEACE


OUR ESSENTIAL STORY


HARNESSING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TO DRIVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, HUMANITARIAN
ACTION AND PEACE

The EPFL EssentialTech Centre develops sustainable and scalable solutions to
address unmet needs, notably in low-income and vulnerable contexts. Our work is
aligned with the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Working from
concept definition to technology transfer, our core activities include systems
engineering, contextual guidance and developing sustainable business models for
the projects. We also provide expertise to international organizations and
partnership initiatives in our focus areas of action.

The unique approach pioneered by the Centre rests on three pillars: cooperation
with stakeholders in areas affected by poverty and crisis, interdisciplinarity
and entrepreneurship.

LATEST NEWS

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WHAT DO OUR PARTNERS THINK OF US? TESTIMONIALS


A WORLD-CLASS UNIVERSITY


PART OF EPFL - SWISS FEDERAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY LAUSANNE

EssentialTech is part of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne
(EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), one of the world's top
institutions in science and technology. It is ranked 6th in Europe and 14th in
the world in the QS World university ranking.

EssentialTech's position at the heart of EPFL ensures access to top minds and
the most advanced test laboratories and technology.

There are about 500 laboratories and research groups at EPFL covering an array
of disciplines in science and engineering. Since 1994, some 500 startups
(including those from EssentialTech), have been created as a direct result of
EPFL research and development, as well as R&D conducted in our own laboratory on
campus. EssentialTech collaborates extensively with professors, researchers and
laboratories throughout the university. Beyond that, we enjoy collaborations and
partnerships with academic, governmental and non-governmental organization’s
around the world.




3 AREAS OF ACTION


SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, HUMANITARIAN ACTION, PEACE PROMOTION

EssentialTech’s three divisions are built along the lines of the
Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) triple nexus as described by the United
Nations to capture the interlinkage between the sectors.

The nexus is based on the recognition that perennial and specific problems in
many countries and communities can be traced back to a combination of three
factors: Poverty, inequality and underdevelopment; humanitarian crises; and
armed conflicts and violence. While the proportion of one factor or another may
differ from one community to another and over time, sustainably addressing the
roots causes must respect their interconnectedness. When you aim to address an
issue in one sector, you will drive change (for good or bad) in the other two.

In our activities, we therefore consider the impact on all three, not just the
primary sector. The environmental impact of any intervention is also a prime
consideration, as no improvement to people’s lives is sustainable over time if
it harms our natural world.

Our sustainable development division aims to impact poverty by delivering
technologies that can promote development in a way that can be sustained
economically, functionally and environmentally. More

Our humanitarian action division works with global partners to research and
implement initiatives to improve humanitarian responses. We aim to save lives,
improve living conditions, protect human rights, restore dignity and help people
back to normal lives. More

Our peace promotion activities involve designing, developing and delivering
projects and initiatives at the intersection of technology and peace, notably
through the concept of PeaceTech.  More


8 INTERVENTION TARGETS

We have identified eight intervention targets where “essential technologies” can
play an important role in all three dimensions of the triple nexus:


Food & agriculture

Water & Sanitation

Construction

Transportation

Pharmaceuticals

Medical equipment

Energy

Information & communications



METHODOLOGY

Our technology development projects follow our pioneering, unique in-house
methodology which starts in the academic and research environment before being
transferred to the private sector for implementation at scale.




SUCCESSFUL TRANSFERS

Inexpensive yet high-quality, diagnostic X-ray machine robust enough for harsh
climates. An all-in-one system, it is easy to use and facilitates remote
radiology. Marketed by Pristem SA
Transparent medical face mask made with patented technology that protects from
pathogens while enabling easy breathing and improved communication. Marketed by
HMCare.
Dynamic, affordable prosthetic limbs for low-resource, high-need settings,
marketed by Rehab’Impulse, an ICRC social business.
Personal Protective Equipment designed primarily for Ebola field use. One-piece
suit offers increased comfort with filtration and ventilation for cooling.
Cleanable and reusable for reduced logistics and waste. Marketed by SFTech,
currently in field testing with MSF.


PROJECTS, PROGRAMS & LEADERSHIP INITIATIVES

Geneva Technical Hub


Engineering Humanitarian Action


CURES



GlobalViewAid


Agilis


GlobalDiagnostiX

H2Ospital


GlobalNeoNat


Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR)



Tropical­isation


SmartPPE


GlobalO2

Kay-Nou-Tek


ColdBox


Hello Mask



SmartCervix


WASH


Global Healthy Starts

SafeStart


IDAIR Pathfinder


Ren’All



Oka-taxi








EssentialTech Centre

essentialtech [at] epfl.ch
+41 21 693 60 68

Mailing address:
EPFL-ENT-R-EssentialTech
Station 10
1015 Lausanne (Switzerland)
Physical address:
EPFL Lausanne Campus
CM 2-303


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