In the search for sustainability…
Sustainability is a top priority for almost every company worldwide to achieve. This topic has become so prevalent in almost every country during the past few decades that customers are increasingly aware of brands and their practices. This means the way they relate to their employees, the natural world, and communities, the way they sell their products, and, in many cases, the communication they develop with their customers. In short, being sustainable is a must nowadays.
But what does it mean to be sustainable?
Since this is a trending topic, almost every company claims to be “sustainable,” but sustainability is more than looking green, polluting less, or politically standing for some social causes. In the case of fosera, this is an extremely important matter, and to achieve it, we have chosen the path of multidimensional development rather than so-called "greenwashing."
In this, each intervention in a community must be of surgical economic accuracy. For example, by carrying out a domestic solar electricity project, the business model around it should not generate a monetary burden for the population. At the same time, it must boost economic activity to a level that the system does not collapse on itself once initial financing is removed or entirely used. The business model must, therefore, be sustainable in the sense that it does not need subsidies (or at least not too many) to hold its operations, maintenance, and contact with companies.
But is that everything needed to be sustainable?
Not at all. Sustainability cannot be reduced only to the economic field. For example, a rural domestic electrification project mustn't generate a negative impact on the environment. That is, there must be a way of monitoring all products and avoiding as much waste as possible because, in difficult, remote, and vulnerable communities, electronic waste represents a threat to people's health and the natural environment. In that sense, it is not only crucial that our products break with the harmful habit of programmed obsolescence and that they are built to last, but it is also necessary that broken or defective products are reused, repaired, and gradually returned to operation. This is something Fosera has developed with great effort and that is now proudly a distinctive footprint of ours.
What about the social impact?
Last but not least, it is important to take into account the social dimension of our actions in communities. There, the projects, and therefore the technology, must be at the service of the people and work as a potentiator of a feeling of empowerment for those who use it. For this reason, it is essential to visit the communities permanently, take the time to talk to people, and thus understand the use they give to what has been developed to integrate their knowledge into new products and generate a real horizon of improvement in technology design and the lives of the final users.
So, what's coming now?
It has been more than a decade since Fosera has been around, and during that time, we have learned that the right path is not always the simplest, but it is undoubtedly the best of all and the one that is worth walking. Thus, the meticulous selection of our commercial partners, the real care in the impact we have in the field, the commitment to the long durability of our products, and the guarantee of outstanding conditions for all members of the team at the headquarters in Germany and the factory in Thailand are all principles that need to be preserved by any means. This means that any single strategic decision we take as a company must work in favour of these core values. This is the only way to create a solid, responsible, and sustainable future.
Written by: Roberto Vivero Miranda
Edited by: Lama Ibrahim
*About the Author: Roberto serves as a Business Developer at Fosera, bringing a distinctive blend of expertise in Philosophy and Environmental Sciences to the table. With a particular focus on sustainable mobility, he adeptly delves into discussions surrounding sustainability, the theory of justice, and the equitable distribution of opportunities.