Field Ready DIP Final Reflections

During the course of our Core Grant we have achieved many of the outlined deliverables and made immense progress on our work to alter the current trajectory of humanitarian supply chains.

This project allowed us to test our innovation with potential adopters in the humanitarian sector, to raise awareness of the potential of our approach and to develop credibility. Our work began in Haiti, where we started with three 3D printers as we began project testing. We gained a better understanding of the needs on the ground and developed new useful items, one being the umbilical cord clamp which has since been successfully used in a local hospital. However, our most significant outcome was expanding to new locations, such as Nepal after the earthquake. By the end of the project period, Field Ready has also established ongoing operations in Syria and Kenya.

The next key output was passing on skills, which we were able to achieve in a number of ways. From technical training in the field, speaking engagements across the sector and Field Ready publications such as, the forthcoming book on humanitarian innovation by Practical Action Publishing. These trainings have helped encourage the adoption of local manufacturing and over 780 people were engaged in trainings. We have generated new technical knowledge and expanded our work from 3D printing to a myriad of technologies and approaches. More than 1500 items have been manufactured and dispersed.

What began as testing our innovation has now started to be adopted by those in the humanitarian sector. We have since gone on to continue our work through the Accelerating the Journey to Scale grant, where we have continued to build off of this momentum.

Thank you to the HIF for the ongoing support and guidance throughout this process, we are eager to see what we can accomplish together next.

Top Image: 3D printing training in Nepal