Great news 🎉 - EPFL Tech4Dev is now officially part of the EssentialTech family! We are delighted to welcome the team into our Sustainable Development division!
Alongside our in-house projects, our division will now host a grant programme supporting external initiatives that address the same challenges and regions — enabled by the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation @swissdevcoop . By bringing together our collective skills and expertise, we believe that we can achieve greater impact and strengthen our mission of harnessing technology to drive sustainable development and real-world impact in vulnerable settings.
We can't wait to see the innovative technology solutions that will emerge from this powerful acceleration programme!
📅 Today on #WorldRefugeeDay2025, we stand in solidarity with the millions displaced by conflict, persecution, and disaster.
At the EssentialTech Centre, our Humanitarian Action team works to responsibly use technology to save lives, restore dignity, and support crisis recovery for refugees worldwide. 🌍
We are in partnership with organizations like @icrc , @refugees , and @doctorswithoutborders (via the Geneva Technical Hub) to integrate science, technology, and sustainability into humanitarian efforts
From initiatives like « Engineering for Humanitarian Action » with EPFL and ETH Zürich, to our "Future of Humanitarian Design" program with Geneva Graduate Institute, HEAD – Genève, and University of Copenhagen, we are working to make aid more effective and people-centered.
On this day, we reaffirm our commitment to those seeking safety and a new beginning. Let's champion solutions that foster resilience and hope!
Great news for global health! 🌍🩺
Last month, the World Health Assembly officially recognized kidney disease as a priority in the fight against Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), a major milestone for the 850 million people affected worldwide.
At the EssentialTech Centre, this strengthens our mission to develop affordable and sustainable dialysis solutions for low- and middle-income countries, with partners like the RenAll’Care Alliance.
Dialysis is life-saving, but it relies on large volumes of water, energy, and sterile medical supplies, most of which are manufactured in high-income countries and transported globally. Any break in this fragile supply chain puts patients' lives at risk.
As a technical institution, we’re working to build systemic and technological solutions.
Let’s turn this momentum into concrete action! 💪
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📸 Thies Hospital, Senegal — Each dialysis session requires a 10L canister of acetic acid concentrate for the dialysate. Here, due to the lack of a dedicated storage room, the canisters are kept in the corridor.
🔗 More: renallcare.essentialtech.ch
How can we make humanitarian action more sustainable?
We're exploring how Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) can improve environmental footprint measurement and reduce the negative impact of humanitarian action on nature 🌱
This ambitious work is part of an exciting collaboration between The Climate Action Accelerator @climateactionaccelerator , the International Committee of the Red Cross @icrc , and the EPFL Laboratory of Environmental and Urban Economics.
💡 Want to know more? ➡️ Go check out the full video on our LinkedIn!
Last week, our PeaceTech Division brought together researchers, innovators, government officials, and NGO leaders for a powerful workshop on the intersection of technology and gender-based violence (GBV).
Together, we explored the current landscape of technology-facilitated GBV and identified ways for STEM professionals and GBV experts to collaborate for innovative and lasting impact.
💐Huge thanks to our incredible moderators and speakers who inspired these important discussions.
🙏 Supported by the Schlumberger Foundation.
Hello! 👋
We'd like to (re)-introduce ourselves - we're the PeaceTech Division at the EssentialTech Centre. We work at the intersection of technology and peace, advancing innovation that helps reduce violence, not fuel it.
➡️ Swipe through to learn more about who we are, what we do, and how you can connect with us!
After six months of hard work, we are very proud to announce the launch of our brand new website!
✨ A new design
🌍 A clearer vision
🧠 A spotlight on innovation & expertise
Huge thanks to Sonia Tejpal-Mützlitz, @lea.rochat , and our design partners @coteries for making it happen 💪
🔗 Check it out now –> link in our bio! Tell us what you think in the comments 💬
#NewWebsite #Launch #Innovation
Technology is key! From life-saving medical devices to sustainable solutions and AI for peace promotion, we will continue to innovate and stand in solidarity with those most vulnerable. #Impact #Innovation #Humanity #sustainable #peace
A heartfelt thank you to all our speakers for their great contributions during "Digital Dilemmas: Building Digital Resilience in Humanitarian Crises," last Tuesday at EPFL!
Here are a few takeaways from the discussions:
💡 While the use of technologies in crisis zones facilitates the work of humanitarian organizations, it also raises questions about maintaining their neutrality. Infrastructure independence is also crucial. Control over infrastructure means control over data management, leaving little choice but to accept terms dictated by service providers.
💡 Digital technologies has also made involving civilians in war effort much easier, potentially exposing them to risks of retaliation by adverse parties.
💡 In recognizing the differing needs of vulnerable populations in crises compared to those in high-income countries, we can shape technologies and services accordingly, mitigating risks rather than inadvertently pushing new risk on already vulnerable populations.
💡 EPFL has been pioneering partnerships with humanitarian organizations via its EssentialTech Centre since 2015. Numerous EPFL labs are involved in projects collaborating with humanitarian organizations to develop solutions to improve services and mitigate specific digital risks associated with humanitarian action.
🗣️ Special thanks to our distinguished speakers: Jan S Hesthaven (Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at EPFL), Gilles Carbonnier (Vice-President of ICRC), Anna Fontcuberta-Morral (EPFL Associate Vice President for Centers and Platforms), Ariane Bauer (Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, ICRC), Carmela Troncoso (Associate Professor, Security and Privacy Engineering, EPFL SPRING Lab), Katharina Frey (Deputy Head of Division for Digital Foreign Policy, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA), Anton Aschwanden (Head of Public Policy for International Geneva & Switzerland, Google) and Grégoire Castella (Head of the Humanitarian Division, EPFL EssentialTech Centre).
We co-organized the conference with the @icrc - in partnership with the EPFL Center for Digital Trust (C4DT).
#DigitalDilemmas #Humanitarian
L’exposition 'Digital Dilemmas: Humanitarian Consequences' commence par une immersion sensorielle en pleine zone de conflit. D’emblée, des questions concrètes se posent: que feriez-vous si vous deviez vous fier à des messages inconnus pour obtenir de l’eau? Ou si l’utilisation de votre téléphone faisait de vous une cible?
Une expérience audiovisuelle interactive propose au public de faire lui-même face aux choix auxquels ces personnes sont confrontées. Au travers de sept thèmes centraux tels que la protection des données, la désinformation ou encore la biométrie, elles permettent de mesurer l’importance vitale de la sécurité numérique dans le cadre de l’aide humanitaire.
Une exposition présentée par le CICR @icrc et le centre @epfl_essentialtech avec EPFL Pavilions.
3.5–14.7.2024
EPFL Pavilions, Pavillon A
Mardi–dimanche, 11h–18h
Entrée libre
The 'Digital Dilemmas: Humanitarian Consequences' exhibition begins with a sensory immersion in the middle of a conflict zone. Straight away, concrete questions arise: what would you do if you had to rely on unknown messages to get water? Or if using your phone made you a target?
An interactive audiovisual experience invites the audience to face up to the choices these people have to make. Through seven central themes such as data protection, disinformation or biometrics, they demonstrate the vital importance of digital security in humanitarian aid.
Presented by the @icrc and the @epfl_essentialtech Centre with EPFL Pavilions.
3.5–14.7.2024
EPFL Pavilions, Pavilion A
Tuesday–Sunday, 11 am–6pm
Free Entry
Photos: Julien Gremaud
@epflcampus@ethzurich@icrc #epfl #essentialtech #icrc #cicr #lausanne #EPFLPavilions #C4DT #exposition #exhibition #art #science #digital #diplomacy #technology #surveillance #humanitarian #humanitaire #deepfakes #digital #data #ai #ia #artificialintelligence #intelligenceartificielle #lausannemusees #lausanneculture @lausannemusees
📢 Join us on May 21
For “Digital Dilemmas: Building Digital Resilience in Humanitarian Crises”
Tuesday May 21, 2024
18:00 – 21:00
EPFL Forum Rolex
When digital technologies intersect with humanitarian crises, understanding the risks and opportunities they can bring is paramount. Speakers will delve into the digital risks for people affected by humanitarian crises and map out actionable steps that stakeholders across various sectors can take to address these pressing challenges.
Programme and registration 👉 link in bio.
With addresses from Martin Vetterli (President of EPFL), Anna Fontcuberta-Morral (EPFL Associate Vice President for Centers and Platforms), Gilles Carbonnier (Vice-President of ICRC) as well as a panel discussion with Ariane Bauer (Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, ICRC), Carmela Troncoso (Associate Professor, Security and Privacy Engineering, EPFL SPRING Lab), Katharina Frey (Deputy Head of Division for Digital Foreign Policy, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA) and Anton Aschwanden (Head of Public Policy for International Geneva & Switzerland, Google).
The conference will be followed by music and cocktail!
Organized by EPFL EssentialTech Centre and the International Committee of the Red Cross - ICRC in partnership with Center for Digital Trust (C4DT), EPFL.
#DigitalDilemmas #Humanitarian #Digital hashtag #Technologies
