Responsible Innovation

Healthcare innovation for safety and sustainability

Szilvia Szabó — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 14:05:07 +0000

Healthcare innovation for safety and sustainability

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Healtcare

Responsible Innovation

Sustainable Business

Topic

Responsible Innovation

When you enter a hospital, you expect immaculate cleanness and high levels of hygiene.

In spite of the best efforts of medical facilities to meet this expectation, one of the most often overlooked elements is the mattresses on which patients are lying.

While you are waiting to be treated or, in the best-case scenario, on the way to recovery, you wouldn`t think of getting infected by spending most of your time in bed.

Michael Sullivan, Founder and CEO of NUA Medical, shines a light on the fact that one in five people contract healthcare-related infections during their stay in hospitals or other care facilities.

He explains that due to extra pressure, limited blood flow and specific microclimate around the skin, patients are more likely to face some unwanted consequences of lying on foam mattresses used by health institutions.

Michael adds:

“The cleaning process of foam mattresses is not adequate for the 21st century, and foam and bacteria go well together. Typically, they are inspected visually and wiped out to clear them, which leads to low infection control.”

Michael Sullivan, Founder and CEO of NUA Medical

He notes that besides the medical aspects, foam mattresses are adding to the growing waste problem since they cannot be recycled, and 60% of them are thrown out after the first use.

About 120 foam mattresses are dumped into landfills weekly in Ireland, which is equivalent to approximately 6000 items annually - equal to the height of Carrantuohill, the highest mountain in Ireland at 1,038.6 metres - causing 230 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

As an engineer with over 25 years of experience working in the healthcare industry researching, designing, manufacturing and distributing cutting-edge pressure relief products, he decided to challenge the status quo.

“We are born on foam and die on foam. But it is a dirty product. Would you lie down and sleep on a mattress that has been used by sick people before you? Normally, you wouldn`t.”

He searched for a better alternative and came up with the NEST® innovative product line designed to prevent and treat pressure ulcers and injuries. It can be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected and made of 100% recyclable material.

"A very important aspect of our success has been the strategy of listening to medical professionals in Ireland, the EU and the US who provided us with insight and advice that we took back to the laboratory test centres and beta customers that allowed us to fast track the end product.”

The NEST® innovative product line was designed to prevent and treat pressure ulcers and injuries. It can be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected and made of 100% recyclable material. Image: NUA Medical

The first prototype of the mattress came out in 2018, and their current medical pressure relieving mattress and cushion solutions were launched early in 2022. Their products combine three key factors: pressure relief, infection control and minimal environmental impact.

Considering its features, it seems like the ideal solution to reduce the risk of healthcare associated infections and be kinder to the environment, but getting institutions to switch from the traditional approach has been an uphill battle.

“We needed hard evidence to change the system and have a strong business case to convince decision-makers,” Michael shares, emphasising that a mindset shift is essential.

Putting sustainability on the procurement criteria list is one of the essential steps that can level the playing field for businesses like NUA Medical to thrive and bring forward innovative and sustainable solutions.

“A big win for us was when HSE understood the benefits of making changes in their system. However, we had to convince them that by choosing an alternative, they could save money and save the planet.

Environmental factors might not be the top priority for these organisations, but with recent EU and national regulations, carbon management has become an issue.”

Since the NEST® mattress production means 70% less carbon emissions compared to traditional mattresses and is fully recyclable, it makes it a more conscious choice for achieving carbon reduction targets.

After HSE adopted changes in its procurement guidelines, Michael and his team won a game-changing contract to become a supplier to the Children`s Hospital in Dublin.

It was a special moment for him as he also has kids and can easily relate to the challenges families must face at the hospital.

“Knowing that we are here helping prevent infections on top of their hassle is an extraordinary added value to what we are doing.”

But to move towards their mission, their solution needed to be backed with a robust business case.

“Once decision-makers replace short-term goals with long-term benefits, that`s when sustainable products stand a better chance on the market. Of course, you need to have an ironclad business model that proves its worth.”

Michael adds that it is not an easy road, so you must have passion besides professional skills.

He is committed to banishing foam mattresses for good from healthcare facilities, saying that besides their efforts to prove their points, authorities need to go beyond guidelines and change legislation.

Now, they are looking at opportunities to expand their business in Ireland and internationally, raising awareness and making a positive impact on patients' lives and the environment.

Headline image: Canva

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How can innovation help your back pain disappear?

Business Spirit News reporting — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 10:16:19 +0000

How can innovation help your back pain disappear?

Tags

Innovation

Responsible Innovation

Responsible Research and Innovation

Wellbeing

Smart Health

Topic

Innovation

Responsible Innovation

Smart Health

The concept of a Smart Chair to improve the health and wellbeing of office workers has been developed as part of a Responsible Research and Innovation project.

The pandemic and working from home have dramatically increased the time we sit on a chair and the number of people suffering from back and neck pains.

A Smart Chair helping you improve your posture and maintain good habits could be a solution to avoid the negative health implications of sitting while working.

As a part of the Living Innovation project, global digital services company ATOS worked on this problem, trying to find a solution with citizens, particularly Millenials and GenZ, experts and scientists.

“We held several Design Thinking workshops in Spain and remotely with Austrian young people to understand the real needs of these groups.

Then, experts in the company have analysed the results and tested ideas in a virtual innovation workshop,” says Lydia Montandon, Business Development Director at ATOS Research & Innovation group.

As a result, they developed the concept of a Smart Office Chair, which is expected to be ergonomically designed in line with the recommendations of therapists: it should provide good support for the back, while integrated sensors detect the incorrect postures and send information to the user.

Lydia Montandon, Business Development Director, ATOS Research & Innovation group

The company would need to cooperate with office furniture manufacturers and physicians or traumatologists to produce a Smart Chair that can meet these requirements.

“In the future, smart health will probably focus more on preventing illnesses or diseases, helping people to avoid bad habits and therefore enjoying better wellbeing and healthier lives. But, let me ask you: How do you feel about your back and neck today?”

adds Montandon.

Software developers would use AI technologies to analyse built-in sensor data and detect unhealthy patterns.

An app would serve as an interface for the users and alert them when unhealthy postures can be corrected.

The idea is that “correct” postures can progressively become normal and become a new habit for the user.

The interesting part is that this chair is designed to be “shareable”.

Once the sitting position has been improved for one person – or one employee in an organisation – the Smart Chair can be passed on to the next one.

Thus, the business model is based on the idea of health prevention benefiting both employees and organisations in the long term.

According to Lydia, the whole design process has been fascinating since they involved different stakeholders in the ideation process.

“It was an exciting experience to reach out to younger generations and experiment with co-innovation methodologies during the pandemic.

It requires a lot of effort, but the resulting value proposition is richer than what we could have been achieved with traditional methods,” she recalls.

So far, the product has not reached the market yet, but the design team expects that the involvement of all stakeholders in the first steps of the project design will enhance its adoption when the product is ready to be commercialised.

“The main barrier in embracing co-creation in product design is the time and investment needed to organise co-innovation activities involving a representative group of stakeholders, including citizens, experts, salespeople, organisers, facilitators, etc.

Another barrier is the innovative way of doing things, which is still not convincing to all interested parties. A lot of effort is needed to raise awareness about the benefits of this approach,” Montandon explains further.

Lydia believes that a change of mindset regarding designing and developing an innovative product is needed, alongside how you approach customers, involving them in the process rather than presenting a result.

One of the early achievements would be for her to see her colleagues complaints about their back pains and visits to the therapist disappear soon, and provide this relief for many other people in the near future.

To learn more about this and other Responsible Innovation projects join the 'Living in a smart future' session at the Responsible Innovation Summit virtual conference on 19-22 Ocotber.

Headline image: Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

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ADAPT Research Centre

Szilvia Szabó — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 21:06:06 +0000

ADAPT Research Centre

Location

Ireland

https://www.adaptcentre.ie/

Reach

Europe

ADAPT’s research vision is to pioneer new forms of proactive, scalable, and integrated AI-driven Digital Media Technology that empower individuals and society to engage in digital experiences with control, inclusion, and accountability with the long-term goal of a balanced digital society by 2030.

ADAPT is pioneering new Human Centric AI techniques and technologies including personalisation, natural language processing, data analytics, intelligent machine translation human-computer interaction, as well as setting the standards for data governance, privacy, and ethics for digital content.

The ADAPT Centre utilises an interdisciplinary ethos to advance and propel learning and research, incorporating leading experts from the complementary fields of, Social Sciences, Communications, Commerce/Fintech, Ethics, Law, Health, Environment, and Sustainability.

Creating better innovations with the Ethics Canvas framework

You can structure ideas about the ethical implications of innovation projects and visualise them in order to resolve them.

Research

April 2019

Focus

research

Innovation

Responsible Innovation

Platform :: Partner categories

Innovation | Research

ISINNOVA

Szilvia Szabó — Sat, 11 Sep 2021 20:36:00 +0000

ISINNOVA

Location

Italy

https://www.isinnova.org/

Reach

Europe

ISINNOVA, the Institute of Studies for the Integration of Systems, is an independent research institute that supports international, national and local public bodies, as well as private organisations, as they pursue sustainable visions and policies. They supports communities, authorities and industries, developing research-based and collaborative solutions to complex challenges.

It ideates and runs cross-discipline and cross-sector research and innovation projects that bring together public authorities, industries, research institutions and civil society. Co-creating long-term visions for sustainability and advising on the development of coherent systemic (or strategic) plans, ISINNOVA delivers concrete solutions in response to complex challenges

Focus

research

Responsible Innovation

Responsible Research and Innovation

Business

Sustainability

Sustainable Development Goals

Platform :: Partner categories

Innovation | Research

Networking | Events | Community

Living Innovation

Szilvia Szabó — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 15:22:59 +0000

Living Innovation

Location

Austria

https://www.living-innovation.net/explore

Reach

Europe

The Living Innovation Horizon 2020 project aims to develop responsible, smart home solutions that tackle societal challenges and respond to pressing societal trends.

Focus

Responsible Innovation

research

Responsible Research and Innovation

Platform :: Partner categories

Innovation | Research

Networking | Events | Community

Responsible Innovation Summit

Szilvia Szabó — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 14:11:50 +0000

Responsible Innovation Summit

Location

Ireland

https://responsibleinnovation-summit.com/

Reach

Europe

This annual event is all about connecting, learning and cross-pollination of ideas to generate value-driven change by using the power of innovation!

The conference aims to raise awareness about Responsible Innovation, Sustainable Business and Development and empower like-minded professionals to expand their network to start collaborations.

This Dublin-based event has grown to become a meeting point for leaders coming together from all across Europe to discuss actual topics related to sustainable business, Responsible Innovation, leadership and social entrepreneurship. Since 2017 the Responsible Innovation Summit has welcomed more than 1500 professionals from business, research and policy.

Due to the Covid-19 situation, the conference is now held online, opening more opportunities for an even more diverse and inclusive approach.

Organisations and professionals are welcome to submit their events to be featured as part of the Responsible Innovation Summit agenda.

The main focus of the 2021 conference will be: How to make change happen?

Focus

Innovation

Conference

Responsible Innovation

Responsible Research and Innovation

Sustainable Development Goals

Business

Platform :: Partner categories

Innovation | Research

Networking | Events | Community

How can tech startups benefit from applying ethics?

Szilvia Szabó — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 21:16:52 +0000

How can tech startups benefit from applying ethics?

Tags

Topic

Responsible Innovation

Ethics

Innovators can access free to use tech ethics booklet to build resilience and create more value

A small group of members of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council for Values, Ethics and Innovation, designed a gap-filling practical booklet to help startups and SMEs explore hidden commercial risks and trigger better innovations through the integration of tech ethics.

After considering that tech ethics mainly targets big business, they decided to publish the 'Tech Ethics for Start-Ups and SMEs’ booklet.

Hilary Sutcliffe, lead athour of the ‘Tech Ethics for Start-Ups and SMEs’ booklet

It aims to offer a quick overview of how ethics can be discussed and managed in innovative businesses without massive resources.

This can be especially useful, where these issues can provide great opportunities if handled well, or potentially devastating risks if poorly managed.

The lead author of this publication Hilary Sutcliffe, director of London-based not-for-profit SocietyInside, shares more insights in this backstage interview.

Hilary was recently named one of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2021 and in her work, she explores issues related to trust, ethics, values, and governance of technology - especially concerning nanotech, biotech and AI – through collaborative research.

“We have designed the ‘Tech Ethics for Start-Ups and SMEs’ booklet as an easy-to-take on board advice for companies, in particular, developing or using new and emerging technologies, in all countries, across all sectors.

I have been working on issues of company ethics since the mid-1990s and witnessed the evolution of business responsibility from being sidelined community relations and philanthropy topic to becoming a more complex core business issue that could determine success on the market.

Our work over 20 years in ‘Responsible Research and Innovation’ suggests if companies start thinking about this early, and continue to take these issues seriously as they grow, they can head off the problems currently facing so many before they become disasters.

So much of the airtime and attention on ethical business is directed at big tech companies, but big tech grows from small tech.

We wanted to create an unassuming, accessible little booklet to be read by someone in a startup or small company.

With the help of other experts, we shaped the content to be easy to follow.

Main contributors are including Prof Angie Hobbs from the University of Sheffield, UK, Pamela Mar from the Fung Academy Hong Kong, Dr Emad Yaghmaei from the Technical University of Delft and Professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.

In tech, often they know they should be thinking about this, but don’t have much time and don’t quite know where to start and what sort of things it might practically entail.

The publication explores the difference between values and ethics; highlights some examples and ways of working, which will help navigate ethical issues and some ideas on ethics in practice from companies in different tech areas.

It showcases some accessible ideas of what ethics is, why it’s important now, even in these testing times, and how some companies approach ethical thinking in various tech sectors.

Sprinkled in there are a few motivational quotes and cool ways to simply make it normal to discuss and resolve ethical dilemmas in small businesses.

One of my favourite examples of how ethics can be translated into business strategy is the Riversimple company, which designs hydrogen cars.

The Riversimple company exhibits the benefits of applying ethics in business, Image: Riversimple

They have gone far beyond their core purpose to “To pursue, systematically, the elimination of the environmental impact of personal transport”.

The amazing way they have aligned their entire business model, supply chain, governance and business processes towards this purpose provides a valuable learning opportunity about how to turn this way of thinking into a market advantage.

All, while disrupting the sector and making a cool car in the process.

There is massive potential in putting ethics on your business agenda.

Ethical issues are a fantastic catalyst for innovative thinking - after all, innovation in all spheres invariably comes from problems identified and new ways found to solve them!

I’m not sure you really ‘apply’ ethics, so much as decide to act upon a belief that issues of right and wrong - values and morals - have a place in business, particularly in relation to the business impact on people and planet.

One of my co-authors, Dr Emad Yaghmaei, Senior Researcher at the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management at the Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands, has put it this way:

“Ethics in my view is the integration of objective rights and subjective values into a common and contextual framework rather than only doing the right thinking in the research and innovation process and being a set of predefined rules impeding progress.

Following this line, ethics concerns the analysis and integration of different values and norms into the design and development of research and innovation, which can trigger the execution of Responsible Innovation.”

The five key focus areas that you will find in the booklet:

Dr Emad Yaghmaei, Senior Researcher at the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management at the Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands

Ethics could be your biggest hidden commercial risk - so put it on your Risk Register.
Find out what ethical issues matter to you.
Start with values and work from there.
Make it normal to discuss ethics and think about problems in advance.
Be collaborative in resolving issues.

This is not the usual set of guidelines or a framework - there are plenty of those available already.

It is designed for the step before that.

We haven’t got a magic formula for every possible scenario; therefore, this booklet's focus is not on providing a long list of potential issues to scroll through, but about how organisations can find out for themselves what their relevant ethical issues are.

Each organisation will have its own systems and processes and will need to find their way of dealing with them in the context of their sector, country, culture.

Using the ‘Tech Ethics for Start-Ups and SMEs’ booklet teams could efficiently work in a collaborative process that would help them deal with dilemmas and find solutions to ethical problems.

This free to use publication was officially launched on 28th January 2021, ready to make its way to innovators to create better innovations that would serve everyone better.

We would love to do more to promote the guidelines and reach out to innovators.

We welcome opportunities to do that and of course, funding to set up more events and platforms to bring these ideas to the attention of tech companies everywhere.”

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5 online events for changemakers to build back better

Anonymous — Fri, 11 Sep 2020 13:19:52 +0000

5 online events for changemakers to build back better

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Topic

Responsible Innovation

Business

Although most events are going online, changemakers can still make a positive impact

The COVID-19 pandemic forced most of the game-changer events designed to inspire positive change in society and business to move online. However, the lack of personal touch could actually provide a unique chance to expand and open up the discussions to a global audience.

In this way, organisers and participants can achieve a more significant impact. Here are some of the most exciting and impactful events where changemakers can connect, learn and get inspired.

For Impact Investors and Social Innovators

Building Alliances for Impact – annual conference of The European Venture Philanthropy Association (EVPA) - 21-24 September

This four days event aims to bring hundreds of professionals together via 60+ interactive and creative sessions to learn, engage, network and get visibility – and ultimately bring positive impact to those in need.

#Investing4Impact networks and stakeholders can deep dive here into topics like ‘just transition’, climate change and socially sustainable development. Participants can choose their area of focus and interest:

Day 1 – Building Alliances - Starting from the public sector and institutional investors, the effectiveness of venture philanthropy will be put to the test, and the amount of risk investors for impact are willing to undertake to achieve societal change assessed.

Day 2 – Resilience – How to prepare for the future with European business leaders, deal with systemic change, build trust between social investors and public authorities but also learn from Covid-19 response examples in high impact ventures.

Day 3 – Social Enterprise Day – Exploring social entrepreneurship along the whole investing for impact spectrum.

Day 4 – Scaling for Impact - What needs to be done in order to maximise impact exactly where it is needed and with the involvement of all players.

“The recent pandemic has clearly shown that building alliances are not only necessary but tremendously effective”, Steven Serneels, outgoing CEO, EVPA.

European Venture Philanthropy Association (EVPA) is a lively network of organisations sharing the same vision and a common goal: creating positive societal impact through venture philanthropy. Currently, EVPA has over 300 members, mainly based in Europe, showing the sector is rapidly evolving across borders.

How to join: You can buy tickets online at the conference website

Special offer: EVPA offers 50 scholarships for organisations and individuals who would like to join the conference, but have financial restrictions that prevent them from buying the tickets at the regular price!

For Social Enterprise sector stakeholders

Digital Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) event - 21-25 September

This is the moment to champion the potential of social enterprises – small and large, rural and urban – to bring about inclusive and sustainable economic development.

Week-long online series of events and activities will feature keynotes and plenaries from three different world zones with live Q&A, online networking, and partner-organised fringe events. Speakers will include leading social entrepreneurs and changemakers from across the world, with over 3,000 participants from over 50 countries. SEWF Digital event week features three parts:

Monday/Tuesday focuses on connecting and learning through masterclasses, webinars, group discussion, specialist sessions, and sessions nominated by registered participants.
Wednesday/Thursday room partitions come down (virtually) with a series of keynote addresses and plenaries that will inspire and encourage action.
Friday will focus on reflection and next steps as we close the event.

Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) is the leading organisation for the global social enterprise movement.

They are challenging the failed economic models and build a movement by convening global and regional events, partnering with diverse organisations, and influencing policy dialogues.

Image: Pexels

How to join: Book paid tickets.

Reduced price tickets are available for students and small social enterprises. Bursary places are also available for those in lower-income and conflicted affected countries and those from an organisation who have experienced significant hardship due to COVID-19.

For Researchers and Innovators

European Research and Innovation Days - Bringing stakeholders together to shape future research and innovation policy - 22-24 September

This is the European Commission’s annual flagship Research and Innovation event, bringing together policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs and the public to debate and shape the future of research and innovation in Europe and beyond.

By creating connections between cutting-edge scientific research and the most pressing challenges of a generation, this online gathering represents a unique opportunity to join the conversation and enact real change.

From tackling the climate crisis to building a digital world that works for everyone, participants can delve into the questions that shape who we are and the future we want to live in from the research and innovation perspective.

The conversations will cover the European Green Deal, Horizon Europe mission, the work of the European Innovation Council and more.

How to join: Create your online profile to access all virtual events.

The event is all about collaboration: bringing together individuals and experts from all areas to build connections and ignite a brighter future.

Circular Economy

Circular Week 2020 campaign - 12-18 October

The Circular Week 2020 is an educational and inspirational campaign which aims to inspire transformation towards a Circular Economy and raise awareness about sustainable production and consumption in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The initiative also offers an opportunity to sustainable businesses to promote their work and to stakeholders to connect, while reaching out to the broader public about responsible consumption. It also provides a platform where every organisation, institution or individual could become engaged and take part in this movement and forge alliances.

„In the face of today's epidemiological situation and the economic crisis that we experience, the transformation towards a circular economy seems to be an even more desirable and necessary direction of change”,

said Agnieszka Sznyk, President of the Board at INNOWO (Institute of Innovation and Responsible Development in Poland), main organiser of the event.

How to join: You can register to become a partner or join various events free of charge.

This year, organisers will put more emphasis on how to lead to the development of local entrepreneurship, economic stability with sustainable production and consumption.

For Leaders of Change

Responsible Innovation Summit – the virtual meeting point for innovators - 20-21 October

The power to change to world for the better is in the hands of every innovator. With each innovation, we have the chance not just to create something new but to benefit society, business and the planet.

The 4th edition of the annual international Responsible Innovation Summit aims to inspire innovators from business, research and policy to 'build back better' after the Covid19 pandemic adapting Responsible Innovation and sustainable business practices. Leaders of Change will come together virtually this year to cross-pollinate ideas, learn and network.

All discussions and networking will take place to raise awareness about Responsible Innovation, emerging business models making a 'Profit with Purpose' and to support value-driven enterprises. During the two days, speakers from all over the world will share their expertise, learn from each other and connect.

The main focus this year will be on creating a roadmap to Build Back Better by empowering collaboration; putting Responsible Innovation into practice; mainstreaming Profit with Purpose to become the new Business As Usual; look at leadership and communication trends and skill to deliver change.

Image: Getty images

Besides, three launch event will take place, which gives innovators a chance not just to listen but take action right away.

How to join: You can tune in to the plenary and panel discussions by registering or you can book an upgraded ticket to enjoy more benefits.

There is no shortage of possibilities to use this golden opportunity and facilitate systemic change!

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How to make a coffee with a conscience?

Szilvia Szabó — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 17:53:14 +0000

How to make a coffee with a conscience?

Tags

Business practice

Sustainability

Profit with Purpose

Topic

Responsible Innovation

Sustainable business

The journey of building a company on values that stands for more than 20 years.

When we start talking with Grace O’Shaughnessy, managing director at Java Republic, you can quickly get the sense of a leader who has the experience, passion and a type of wisdom that only people who earned a few scars in the business world would have.

What made our conversation special is that it went beyond repeating lines from a well-designed company’s mission statement as a result of employee training.

It is needless for her to waste energy on painting a better picture than reality. Instead, she is just being upfront and direct about making money, preserving values without turning their story into a Hollywood movie. Grace now manages all aspects of the business with over 70 people working there, and she is committed to driving, mentoring this team on the Java Republic journey.

She shares some pure and simple truths about the pitfalls and triumphs of running a value-driven business.

Grace O’Shaughnessy, managing director, Java Republic

Building a company to become open and transparent

If you think about it, 20 years ago, when our story started, sustainable and ethical considerations did not play crucial roles in building a business. In our case, since our inception, we wanted to do more than making money as a coffee company who just drop a box at delivery. Our goal was to bring the coffee farmers story from the origin close to our end consumers.

So we were digging deeper, going further than anybody else in our market at the time. It has become part of what we do to educate our team, our market, our partners and consumers to make them understand what it takes to make a great cup of coffee.

Undoubtedly profit is something that drives the organisation, if we don’t make money, we can’t reinvest in innovation, development and our people, which is critical to get our message transitioned internally and externally.

We have the responsibility for all 77 hardworking people being employed at this organisation. Still, we also have to think about all of our farmers who produce the coffee beans, noting that their whole life depends on this single product.

It makes you, as a leader determined to achieve those sales numbers, allowing you to pay salaries and fair prices. However, I also enjoy finding ways how we can work smarter, do better and be an advocate of the values that we created here. I believe if we ever stop being content with what we have achieved, our competitors and the market will surpass us.

Connecting people through the coffee journey

From the beginning, Java Republic is focused on the connection with the farmers and bringing their coffee to Ireland.

That gave the foundation in building our philosophy and translating this journey into words: Coffee for the people by the coffee people.

Our ethos, which is ‘coffee with a conscience’ is in everything we do. These principles drive our actions, help us not to lose sight of what is really important. As we move through the years, dealing with challenges in the business – sales, people, strategy – it keeps us focused, keeps us grounded, so we don’t go off track.

Visiting the origins every year is part of our policy. Most of the coffee companies use coops or trading agents and never actually see where their products are coming. For us, it’s about the connection, the understanding and a reminder that we are not just dealing with a high-quality product but people.

Women working on coffee farms - Source: Java Republic

When you go to the origin and see what all this means to a farmer, it becomes more personal. David McKernan, the founder of Java Republic, visited Rwanda in 2018, and on his trip, a woman asked him in a village where we buy some of our coffee:

‘Could you send us some of our coffee back so that we can try it?’

We have some of our farmers who have never tasted their product in a single cup of coffee. They are growing the green coffee, they are selling it or delivering it to a co-op, but they don’t ever get to see it finished. They don’t know where Ireland is for the most part, but the premium price we are paying for the high-quality allows them to build a better life. And that’s what matters to us.

When bad times come…

For a very long time, coffee hasn’t been a sustainable product, and the end consumer knew little about the supply chain. It was a commodity that people would trade the same way they would trade oil or gold. Therefore you totally depend on markets determining if you had a good year or not and where prices could change any time. That’s a risk you’d always have in this industry.

When business flourishes, it is easier to focus on building culture and nurture values. But, changes in the economy can occur through huge curveballs, like this coronavirus pandemic that has a negative impact on the whole society. As a business, we had a similar experience with the financial crisis that caught us after investing a lot into our new facility, leaving us vulnerable without extra savings.

A situation like this puts your business under massive pressure from all channels possible, including internal stake holders, partners and end consumers. In the time of crisis, naturally, price becomes an issue.

It was difficult for us to navigate the business, especially that our partners were asking that we lower the quality of the products for better pricing position.

The Java Republic journey created by the founder, David McKernan - Source: Java Republic

It was a serious dilemma because in doing that we would have become a player on the market that fights on price. When that happens, that is a race to the bottom, and there is no turning back.

We made a tough decision to hold on to our values, not to sacrifice quality and with that our farmers, and our team.

It was extremely turbulent, we all had our doubts and had to work harder than we thought.

But had we not done that we might not be here today with a strong position on the market, being proud of what we stand for.

Our core values – passion, conscientiousness, expertise – served as a compass in the last two decades, and they are woven into our plans for the future.

It also gives us an edge and positioning on the market, which helped us not just survive but thrive as a business over the years.

We believe in this! It’s the right thing to do: our farmers deserve a fair price, our team deserves a fair environment to work in, and our customers deserve a quality product with all of the values we have to offer.

Leading the way in carbon neutrality

When you visit our headquarters in Ballycoolin, with the first purpose-built carbon-neutral roastery, you will find floor-to-ceiling glass walls right next to the café allowing visitors to see every stage of the roasting process. The roastery provides a great talking point to start a conversation about carbon emission besides the pro ducts.

This whole carbon emission issue is very complicated, and when people don’t understand something, they tend to shy away. Our way of handling this is through transparency, education and by breaking it down, telling our customers what we do in simple terms.

First carbon neutral roastery in Ireland - Source: Java Republic

We might not even use carbon neutrality as a term, but show the actions that lead to that end.

Like we do not send our coffee grinds to the landfill. Instead, we put them into bags and allow our customers to take it for free, use it in their garden as a natural fertiliser and slug repellent.

We do not throw away the coffee sacks either, but again customers can use them for various projects. In addition to this, 100% of our coffee chaff goes to compost which is about 3 tonnes each year. There is a wood pellet burner to heat our building and water, and this overrides the commercial boiler.

These are very tangible, simple elements that translate our efforts to become carbon neutral.

When our business partners visit our carbon neutral roastery, it’s a ‘wow’ factor. It’s a bit deceptive from the outside as a warehouse-style building, but once you get inside, you get an extraordinary experience.

In the end, when they understand more the ‘whole coffee journey’ they want to invest in that, and it’s not about price anymore, it’s about collaboration in delivering a top-quality product with a positive impact.

Translating values

I found a lot of companies can be doing great things but having difficulties in translating that and getting the right message to the right audience. Branding is an essential part of making our story accessible and engaging to all of our stake holders. It’s our job to tailor each message to each audience in a way that they would find it interesting.

Consumers are driving many changes in our industry to be more sustainable. It is fair to say that being sustainable is not a ‘nice to have’ factor anymore but expected.

You can deliver a positive impact, but if no one understands what you are doing, how would you expect them to care and even to pay a premium for it?

Back in the days, it would have sufficed to have an accreditation or affiliation with a third party, like Rainforest Alliance or Fair Trade.

You would still need that now, but you are challenged as a business to stand for so much more, especially by the younger audience who is demanding that you are transparent and operate responsibly.

However, it’s not just about consumers. Our market is a very competitive landscape for employees and being authentic is key to attracting and retaining talents. We live and breathe our values, and that’s a key factor for people joining Java Republic.

When I started here, the culture caught me on day one. I got a sense that it is more than a value statement on the wall.

One of the reasons I’m still here after 12 years is that these values resonate with me and keeps me passionate about my work.

Coffee is an all-inclusive industry

The great thing about the coffee industry is that you don’t have to look a certain way or be from a particular background to work here, and it is also a very trendy place to be.

We are collaborating with Oberstown Children Detention Campus where some of the young people would never have the opportunity for education.

We developed a pioneer training programme with Oberstown for young offenders in their facility to learn and become a barista.

As a result, these young people have an opportunity to earn an income when they leave the facility. Besides the physical skills, it also provides them with self-confidence and the soft skills needed to deal with customers and people in general.

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Accelerating Investment Readiness programme for social enterprises

Szilvia Szabó — Wed, 20 May 2020 10:59:52 +0000

Accelerating Investment Readiness programme for social enterprises

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Responsible Innovation

International pitch competition and learning programme is open for social enterprises.

With a pitch competition and a blended learning opportunity, the ‘Accelerating Investment Readiness’ (AIR or #AirMOOC) programme offers a unique chance for social enterprises to gain knowledge, build their network and connect with impact investors at one go. This innovative programme is managed by 14 partners from 12 European countries as part of the ‘Finance4SocialChange’ EU Interreg project.

The pitch competition is open only for social innovators from the Danube region. Selected finalists will receive one-on-one mentoring, and each winner will get at least 10,000 € in prize money and exclusive access to an extensive impact investor network. Deadline for online application is 31st of May, 2020.

The learning course is free and open to anyone who wants to learn and get insights on social entrepreneurship, impact investments and scaling a value-driven enterprise. Besides the learnings, it offers a networking opportunity to connect with peers and impact investors from all over Europe.

“We have gathered leading experts in impact investing, purpose-driven business and progressive policy-making to provide inputs for reflection, share their experiences and co-create more sustainable and pro-social organizations,” says Dr Gorgi Krlev, who works at the Centre for Social Investment (CSI) of the University of Heidelberg and lead partner of the AIR project.

The aim of the ‘Accelerating Investment Readiness’ and #AirMOOC learning programme is to facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange between stakeholders in the social innovation space, such as entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers.

The learning course will be launched on 25th of May and run for 6 weeks and offers six modules focusing on topics at the intersection of social entrepreneurship and impact investing with a specific focus on Measuring and managing Impact, Strategy, Finance, Governance, Scaling and Communication.

Participants in the #AirMOOC can learn practical skills about:

How do you best measure and manage social impact?
How do you build an integrated organizational strategy to create impact?
What is social and impact finance?
How do you master the specific governance features social ventures have?
What are the different pathways to scaling impact? How do you communicate (for) impact?

Experts involved in the #AirMOOC programme as speakers and contributors come from an impressive range of high-profile organizations and institutions, including SEIF Driving Impact Innovation, TEDx, Social Entrepreneurship Network Germany (SEND), the German Ministry of Economy in Baden-Württemberg, ResponsAbility Investments, Impact Collective Social Venture Accelerators, Enactus, PHINEO, European Venture Philanthropy Association (EVPA), Cambridge Social Ventures, Impact Hub, OECD, and Erste Bank.

The Coronavirus pandemic has revealed the need to create ventures that are creating values at the social and ecological level besides contributing to the economy. The support offered by the ‘Accelerating Investment Readiness’ (AIR) programme could empower innovators to join forces and build back a better ecosystem and tackle the devastating impact of the Covid-19.

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