Tech4Good: effective partnerships with the private sector and academia

Binh-Minh Cooperative, pyrolysis-based coffee drying in Vietnam, supported by REPIC. ©Sofies-Emac
Installation of an automatic weather station, Arequipa, Peru, 2'355 m above sea level. ©SENAMHI
Solar power training in Belize, supported by REPIC. ©ZENNA

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Through close cooperation with the scientific community and the private sector, the SDC exploits the full potential of new technologies for poverty reduction. The SDC promotes innovative technological approaches to increase the effectiveness of its projects worldwide. New technologies offer enormous opportunities both for humanitarian aid and for sustainable development, but they also entail risks. This is why the SDC always combines innovation with education and good governance wherever it operates.

Technologies co-developed in Switzerland are improving the living conditions of millions of people in areas such as agricultural technology, healthcare, disaster resilience and access to resources. This is made possible by the innovative research conducted at ETH Zurich and EPFL as well as by international Swiss start-ups and Swiss companies with global operations. Tech4Good's commitment is making a significant contribution to achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

2030 Agenda

Engineer explaining how a water-cooled air conditioning system works.

BEEP

Energy consumption in new public, commercial and residential buildings in India is being reduced through energy-efficient design and the use of renewable energy technologies.

A red house surrounded by green trees, built from sustainable cement.

LC3

The SDC is supporting the development of a new type of cement called LC3. The production of this cement emits up to 30% less CO2 than conventional cement.

Satellite image of a rice-growing area with colour indicators used to estimate yields.

RIICE

State-of-the-art satellite technology is used to estimate annual rice yields. This information is used to provide farmers in remote areas with crop insurance.

Agri-Fin Mobile

Agri-Fin Mobile, a provider of agricultural and microfinance services via mobile phones in Indonesia, Uganda and Zimbabwe, is expected to reach 280,000 smallholder farmers.

Three men install an automatic weather station in the Peruvian highlands.

Climandes

Swiss-Peruvian partnership aimed at developing high-quality, science-based climate services to strengthen the resilience of local communities and farms.

A group of people celebrating their access to drinking water through improved technology.

Swiss Bluetec Bridge

The SDC provides financial support for innovations that give the poorest population groups access to water. Scientists conducting basic and applied research also benefit from this.

A local community is trained in the use of a micro power plant.

REPIC

A platform for the transfer of knowledge and technology to promote and spread renewable energy solutions and increase energy efficiency in international development cooperation.

Pangani River catchment area in Tanzania uses his smartphone to measure the flow rate in an irrigation channel.

Global Hydrometry Support Facility GHSF

A mobile-phone crowdsourcing solution to develop a reliable base of hydrological data to facilitate evidence-based decision making and conflict resolution in water resources management at global and local levels.

WMO HydroHub – the Global Hydrometry Support Facility (PDF, 1 Page, 412.3 kB, English)

Other languages

WMO HydroHub, factsheet
WMO HydroHub, factsheet

A rural resident in Africa is registered in a social security system via a mobile phone.

openIMIS

Open source software for health insurers and other social protection systems in low- and middle-income countries. Digital data management facilitates billing processes and registration of people in remote areas.

«openIMIS» - An «open source»-(Health) Insurance Management Information System (PDF, 2 Pages, 187.9 kB, English)

Other languages

«openIMIS» - eine «open source»-Software für das Management von (Kranken-)Versicherungen
« openIMIS » - un logiciel « open source » pour gérer les assurances (maladie)

White dots and lines form the links of a virtual chain.

Effective development requires reliable data

Reliable, comprehensive data is essential for making decisions that benefit communities locally and worldwide and for achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda.