The Philips Foundation and UNICEF have partnered along with others to launch the UNICEF Global Innovation Center (GIC) in Nairobi, Kenya. The center is designed to build, scale and accelerate innovations that will improve children’s lives around the world. The partnership will also see UNICEF getting access to Royal Philips’ innovation processes and solutions.
“With the Global Innovation Centre and Innovation Fund, UNICEF is building new forms of engagement between businesses and development organizations that bring resources and expertise, to bear on children’s issues,†said Dr. Sharad Sapra, Director of the UNICEF Global Innovation Centre. “UNICEF welcomes the valuable contribution of the founding members of the Global Innovation Centre and Innovation Fund for their willingness to approach partnerships in an innovative way, and for their commitment to improving children’s lives and futures,†he added.
“Supporting the UNICEF Global Innovation Centre is a natural next-step in our partnership with UNICEF as it allows us to leverage Royal Philips’ technology, innovation know-how and employees in a really meaningful way to bring scale to social innovators in communities around the world in support of children,†said Ronald de Jong, Member of the Executive Committee at Royal Philips and Chairman of the Philips Foundation. “Innovation as a means to improve people’s lives is at the heart of who we are at Philips and we increasingly seek engagement and co-creation with strong partners like UNICEF.â€
It is the second project in the Philips Foundation-UNICEF partnership following the Maker Movement project which supports social entrepreneurs to create, prototype and scale-up, low-cost maternal and newborn child health equipment in Nairobi, Kenya.