Sustainability and Development

Sustainability and Development go Hand in Hand

We believe that with our method of operation we are addressing two issues of the modern global scientific and technological world in one project.

For one thing, the early disposal of still useful scientific equipment is a waste of resources in high-income countries. In many cases the limiting factor for sustainable re-use of such equipment is the adminstrative effort that comes with trying to find a new purpose for a given piece of equpiment.  By strongly reducing this administrative effort for our donors we remove this barrier. A successful equipment transfor has the additional benefit of freeing up valuable laboratory space of the donor that is wasted to storage.

The second major aspect of our initiative is the benefit that arises for the reciepient. The devices will be distributed to universities, schools and research institutes in low-income countries (examples include Bosnia, or Congo). The devices are destined to be primarily used for teaching activities, such as hands-on teaching classes, and for educational research. We ensure that donated devices are put to sustainable use and that long-term bonds and collaborations are established. Every partner must conform to our ethical rules.


You want to get rid of old devices?

You are tight on space?

You want to promote affordable education?

Donate equipment! We organize the rest.


You have no devices but you like the idea?

You want to support education in the form of a CSR project?

Become a sponsor!

With your contribution we cover expenses for transport, maintenance, etc.
Become an active part of our sustainable success story.

Equipment

EquipSent organizes the transfer of out-of-use but functional laboratory equipment (tested, non-contaminated, non-embargoed), which can be used for teaching and research mainly in the field of the natural sciences and engineering. This covers a broad range of devices.

We are currently looking for a list of devices for specific requests, which we hope to complete soon. Yout can find the list under What we are looking for.

In general we are always looking for a wide range of equipment:

  • Low-End (< 1’000 EUR): glass ware, electronics, optical components, electronic circuits, pipettes, etc
  • Mid-range  (< 20’000 EUR): vacuum pumps, scales, etc
  • High-End (> 20’000 EUR): HPLC, XRD, SEM, FTIR, lasers, MS, etc

If you are interested in receiving equipment, please fill the Future Recipient Questionnaire and describe your situation. We will reach out to our donor network and find matching equipment for you!

If you want to collaborate with us to donate laboratory equipment, please fill out the  Future Partner Questionnaire. We will find a recipient in need and establish the match!


For an example check out our latest ongoing case.

Shipping & Legal Framework

EquipSent directly matches the donated equipment to a receiver and organizes the transport from the Donor to the Receiver.

EquipSent takes care of the legal regulations which are involved in the transfer process such as customs regulations and shipping embargos. We provide a draft contract for the Donation of Equipment. A Receiver-Donor agreement is also drawn up by EquipSent and it includes the following points:

  • The Donor is responsible for the check-out of the equipment at his location and has to test the equipment for functionality before shipping. The equipment should be packed suitably for shipping with all required parts, manuals and, if available, tutorials by the Donor, and EquipSent will provide assistance if needed. Furthermore, the Donor confirms that all data have been deleted before handing over of the item.
  • The Receiver commits to reporting on the arrival and installation, and ensures the appropriate usage of of equipment. Reports of the area of application have to be submitted. The equipment will be marked with a statement ‘Kindly donated by …’. The Receiver confirms awareness that the received equipment is not new, i.e. may exhibit some slight wear from prior usage.
  • EquipSent declines liability for any direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage incurred by anybody through the use of the equipment. EquipSent does not warrant the functionality and/or the serviceability of the equipment.

All warranty of the Donor and EquipSent are explicitly excluded.

A swap of the received equipment for another equipment is not possible. After handover of the item to the Receiver or to the carrier, the risk of any damage, accidental or not, to the equipment shall lie with the Receiver.

Ongoing Projects

 Element Analyzer for Sarajevo

As our first prototype, this case involved a shipment of an originally costly analytical chemistry equipment (more than 100,000 USD) including a graphite furnace atomizer and a polarograph from ETH Zurich to the University of Sarajevo. EquipSent matches the two research groups, which both rely on these types of devices for teaching and research on Environmental Chemistry. The group in Sarajevo is heavily limited in funding for state-of-the-art equipment: they own only one such device, which is 60 years old and used by 400 students for training and doctoral theses. On the other hand, a 20 y old device from ETH Zurich has been replaced with a more modern ICP device, which made the device available. The transfer as well as the installation has been completed in mid 2019, and since then the devices service great purpose not only for education, but also to help investigate and resolve local issues such as the air pollution in Sarajevo.

Watch the Video below!

EquipSent successfully organized a transport from Zurich to the University of Sarajevo

 Electronic devices / Oscilloscopes for Congo

This case involves the shipment of physics and electronics lab equipment including about 30 oscilloscopes worth more than 10000 USD and other physics and electronics lab equipment to UCBC, a young university in Beni, Congo. The local professors, both Congolese and American, are trying to establish new curricula for electromagnetism and circuitry courses, and are in great need for hands-on training equipment for their classes. These devices will be used to train hundreds of students, improve education and aid local projects on renewable energy systems in one of countries with the the highest incidences of poverty in the world.

Boxes with oscilloscopes and other electronic devices packed by Irina, Marcela and Kathi from EquipSent