The ingenious cardboard mattress

2023-09-30 04:13:28

As know-how continues to supply new capabilities, the previous adage that “there may be all the time a greater manner” is turning into more and more true, and typically it simply requires a multi-disciplinary method to an issue to rework the effectiveness of the answer. Humanitaria’s first invention already guarantees to reap untold efficiencies for mankind in a situation we’re more and more prone to encounter as local weather change accelerates the incidence of cascading catastrophic disasters of Biblical proportions.

Humanity has an issue. In 2022, we collectively surpassed the 100 million mark for the variety of forcibly displaced individuals on Planet Earth. It is an all-time report however not one we will be happy with, because it’s the best variety of displaced individuals in historical past, and greater than double the variety of only a decade in the past.

When a significant conflict permeates international pondering, more cash goes to protection spending and public confidence plummets, worry takes over, individuals give much less and … the UNHCR international finances for humanitarian support barely coated 46% of wants earlier than the present disaster, and the deficit has been worsening yearly for 14 years, reaching a report deficit of US$20.5 billion in 2022.

How the underside half lives is a key efficiency indicator of our degree of civilization and we’re failing abysmally. Those that are trying to redress the deficit are to be applauded and Spanish start-up Humanitaria is worthy of your consideration and assist.

Humanitaria was based by Barcelona-based Juan Sanz and J. Alberto Paniagua with the purpose of utilizing the pair’s 20+ years of business design expertise to enhance the response capability of NGOs in humanitarian conditions.

The startup was initially assisted by the UNICEF Lab acceleration program, grew to become a finalist within the Red Cross Humanitarian Technology Awards and was chosen as one of many six social innovation proposals aspiring to the 2022 Magellan-Elcano Humanitarian Innovation Award.

By the use of rationalization for the status related to the Magellan-Elcano award in Spain, the Spanish Magellan expedition set out on 20 September 1519 beneath Ferdinand Magellan to discover a western path to the Moluccas (Spice Islands), returning beneath Juan Sebastián Elcano (after Magellan’s dying), crossing the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans, and culminating within the first circumnavigation of the world. There isn’t a greater honor for innovation in Spain.

Juan Sanz is a reputation that you’ll in all probability hear once more, as he and Alberto Paniagua are rapidly constructing formidable credibility for the sensible options to actual world issues they will conjure that may make a large distinction to tens of millions of disenfranchised individuals.

Why innovate in humanitarian tools?

It's a fascinating notion that such a flash of inspiration can have such massive consequence. This simple idea seems likely to contribute billions of dollars in humanitarian aid by making existing aid significantly more efficient. Bravo Humanitaria! — It is an enchanting notion that such a flash of inspiration can have such huge consequence. This straightforward thought appears prone to contribute billions of {dollars} in humanitarian support by making current support considerably extra environment friendly. Bravo Humanitaria!

Sanz takes up the story: “As a result of humanitarian tools represents greater than 40% of worldwide humanitarian support spending. It’s the work device of all NGOs. If we will deliver a super-efficiency to humanitarian tools via easy enchancment, we will democratize humanitarian support, and we will make it embraceable by massive and small organizations.

“In these two years, with the assistance of a nonetheless small however very dedicated workforce, we have now developed our first product: the low-cost humanitarian mattress. A vital piece of kit in each humanitarian group, which reduces the acquisition worth of the tools by 80-90%, and on the identical time improves the efficiency metrics of the group in operation: supply occasions, transportation, meeting time, administration of the tools… it’s tools designed from scratch with a single objective: to supply most effectivity at minimal price, to multiply the assets of humanitarian organizations. That is why!”

Sanz (who nonetheless earns his personal residing as knowledgeable communicator whereas performing pro-bono CEO performance for a humanitarian support firm) is right: beds are the most important merchandise within the annual finances of NGOs.

The truth is, the beds utilized by NGOs all around the world are nonetheless tenting beds with a mean worth between €100 and €200 (US$110 to $220) EACH, and since no-one had ever checked out it logically earlier than, they take between 5 and 20 minutes every to assemble and usually are not appropriate for transport in massive portions.

Can a cardboard mattress be “match for objective”?

A single person can set up 70 beds in an hour, by simply opening the bed like a cardboard box, which is effectively what it is! — A single particular person can arrange 70 beds in an hour, by merely opening the mattress like a cardboard field, which is successfully what it’s!

In Humanitaria’s cardboard mattress design, the cardboard mattress can assist as much as 350 kilograms of weight, effectively above the 150 kilograms supported by the standard tenting beds utilized by NGOs.

“The price of 1,000 beds for a refugee camp ranges from €100,000 to €200,000 (US$110 to $220) and it takes as much as two weeks to provide them, one other two weeks to ship them (by land or sea) and greater than 24 hours to put in and set them up”, stated Juan Sanz, Humanitaria’s CEO.

By comparability, he defined, “… with Humanitaria, 1,000 beds price €16,000, will be shipped folded by aircraft and will be arrange in 20 minutes.”

The provision of a working bed is between 60 and 200 times faster than any alternative used in humanitarian emergencies, greatly shortening the time it takes to set up a field hospital, and it has the added benefit of enabling the available staff and associated costs to be focused on the most important things. — The availability of a working mattress is between 60 and 200 occasions sooner than any various utilized in humanitarian emergencies, significantly shortening the time it takes to arrange a subject hospital, and it has the additional benefit of enabling the out there employees and related prices to be targeted on an important issues.

By way of manufacturing, the cardboard mattress represents a price discount of 90% in comparison with the value of different humanitarian beds. The associated fee per unit is round 16-17 euros and is 99% extra environment friendly than any of the options generally utilized by NGOs around the globe.

Solely 46% of humanitarian emergencies worldwide obtain support from worldwide NGOs. And the worsening worldwide environmental and political scenario will increase this hole between wants and humanitarian response yearly.

“By lowering the associated fee and rising the effectivity of the tools, we make it accessible to as many organizations as doable, who will have the ability to assist extra individuals. We’re only one half of an entire,” stated Sanz.

The advantages of the packaging business utilized to humanitarian tools

Thanks to the existing automation of the packaging industry, any factory in any city can manufacture these beds quickly and cost-effectively. This enables an immediate response to any peak demand without stock-outs or impossible lead times, as happened with the Asian supplier network during the pandemic. — Due to the prevailing automation of the packaging business, any manufacturing facility in any metropolis can manufacture these beds rapidly and cost-effectively. This permits a right away response to any peak demand with out stock-outs or inconceivable lead occasions, as occurred with the Asian provider community through the pandemic.

The fabric and design of the mattress takes benefit of packaging know-how: simplicity, pace of meeting and a excessive fee of manufacture.

“With the Humanitaria mattress, we have now a manufacturing pace of 1,000 items per hour in 24-hour shifts. Due to the automation of the packaging business, any common manufacturing facility can manufacture these beds at a fee that’s light-years forward of some other answer. This permits us to reply to any peak demand with out stock-outs or inconceivable lead occasions, as occurred with the Asian provider community through the pandemic,” in keeping with Sanz.

The pace of meeting is a report within the social sector: a system that begins from an extra-flat sheet and transforms right into a mattress in lower than 5 seconds, a process {that a} single particular person can carry out autonomously, with out instruments or prior coaching. “It’s between 60 and 200 occasions sooner than any various utilized in humanitarian emergencies, significantly shortening the time it takes to arrange a subject hospital, lowering the variety of employees and related prices. A single particular person can arrange 700 beds in a single hour. Merely opening the mattress like a cardboard field. Which is what it’s, in brief”, defined Humanitaria’s CEO.

Excessive power and sturdiness

The speed of assembly is a record in the social sector: a system that starts from an extra-flat sheet and transforms into a bed in less than 5 seconds, a task that a single person can perform autonomously, without tools or prior training. — The pace of meeting is a report within the social sector: a system that begins from an extra-flat sheet and transforms right into a mattress in lower than 5 seconds, a process {that a} single particular person can carry out autonomously, with out instruments or prior coaching.

Cardboard is the most cost effective structural and sturdy materials there may be. It lasts lengthy sufficient to deal with a humanitarian emergency. “It’s a quick, versatile and cost-effective answer. It might double the accredited power of a humanitarian mattress and supply consolation and shelter in a time of excessive vulnerability. Folks cannot consider it once they see 5 individuals standing on our mattress,” argues Héctor Muñoz, head of producing.

“Those that query the sturdiness do not perceive the method of this product. It’s the quickest, most pluralistic and most economical answer. It was not in our plans to design a product that might final 10 years in excellent situation. Even so, we doubled the accredited resistance for a humanitarian mattress,” added Muñoz.

Cardboard is the cheapest structural and durable material there is. It is a fast, versatile and cost-effective solution and easily lasts long enough to cope with a humanitarian emergency and is indeed double the approved strength of a humanitarian bed. Most importantly, it can provide comfort and shelter in a time of high vulnerability. — Cardboard is the most cost effective structural and sturdy materials there may be. It’s a quick, versatile and cost-effective answer and simply lasts lengthy sufficient to deal with a humanitarian emergency and is certainly double the accredited power of a humanitarian mattress. Most significantly, it could possibly present consolation and shelter in a time of excessive vulnerability.

The Humanitarian mattress is meant to be the important useful resource for this primary humanitarian response “providing a secure place for a whole lot of hundreds of individuals in search of shelter and a residing house that meets the ensures of security, consolation and high quality on the lowest doable price. A good mattress on which to sleep and discover healthcare”.

For this essential work, Humanitaria has already offered a super-efficient device. The primary few hundred items of the mattress are being readied for testing through the rescue operations deliberate by the Spanish Crimson Cross the (Northern Hemisphere) autumn of 2023.

Humanitaria was based in Barcelona by Juan Sanz and J. Alberto Paniagua with the purpose of utilizing their greater than 20 years of respective expertise in industrial design and strategic consultancy in sectors such because the automotive business to enhance the response capability of NGOs in humanitarian conditions. The startup was a finalist within the Crimson Cross Humanitarian Expertise Awards and was chosen as one of many six social innovation proposals aspiring to the Magellan-Elcano 2022 Humanitarian Innovation Awards.

Humanitarian Expertise Awards: recognizing social innovation

Hiveonline creates mobile phone-based solutions for rural African communities to create savings groups and cooperatives, facilitate access to financial services, agricultural inputs, and market buyers. Hiveonline helps otherwise disenfranchised groups improve their farming and saving practices and aid micro-entrepreneurs. — Hiveonline creates cell phone-based options for rural African communities to create financial savings teams and cooperatives, facilitate entry to monetary providers, agricultural inputs, and market patrons. Hiveonline helps in any other case disenfranchised teams enhance their farming and saving practices and support micro-entrepreneurs.

The chance for creatively repurposing current know-how to construct alternatives in humanitarian pursuit is immense and the Humanitarian Expertise Awards are designed to acknowledge and promote social innovation internationally.

Over the previous eight years, the Humanitarian Expertise Awards have promoted some fascinating and empowering concepts, prototypes, and options such because the Oasis Project (instruments for lecturers for youth homelessness training), Visualfy (empowering deaf individuals with know-how), Tresdesis (assistive know-how), Hiveonline (connecting the casual African economic system), Ecolana (digital instruments to facilitate recycling), Shopping with Purpose (clever revue era for NGOs), Teacher AI (empowering educators with Synthetic Intelligence), Comgo ( third sector influence measurement), Croix-Rouge Insertion (growing sustainable employment for probably the most deprived) and Missing Maps (preemptively mapping areas which can be weak to pure disasters, conflicts, and illness epidemics).

These tasks have confirmed their price by addressing important social challenges and creatively utilizing know-how to make a constructive influence on communities.

The 2024 Humanitarian Technology Awards close on 10 November 2023 and registration is already open.

Supply: Humanitaria.es (Cellphone: +34 696 859 127 E mail: hola@humanitaria.es)

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