ARM

What we are doing

Accelerating Digital Solutions

We are creating a network of global problem solvers by catalysing innovators in the developing world that are discovering local applications of technology to address local challenges.

We will continue to support the African Drone and Data Academy and explore ways to improve access to safe water and WASH services through solar-powered systems in Malawi for 10,000 people in flood prone communities.

Connecting Young People

We are connecting young people to the information, technology and skills they need to fulfil their potential by providing access to the internet, digital skills, technology and resources needed to become the next generation of problem solvers.

Our ambition is to help 288 young people in Malawi create their own enterprises or achieve gainful employment through the African Drone and Data Academy

Learning Innovation Hub

Given our shared goals, UNICEF and Arm will now place a stronger lens on children’s learning journeys. Collectively we will achieve the ambition of the UNICEF Learning Innovation Hub in Helsinki, Finland, launched in 2022.

This latest UNICEF Office of Innovation hub holds the promise to align the power of today’s technology to building alternative learning futures for ALL children, where learning is a fascinating adventure.

Partnership highlights

• Wearables for Good – In 2015, UNICEF and Arm partnered with design firm frog to launch the Wearables for Good Challenge, hailed as one of the most globally inclusive technology and design challenges. We wanted to demonstrate wearables can go beyond fitness to address health challenges for children. From the 250 applications, SoaPen and Khushi Baby were taken through a business incubation programme and were awarded $15,000 each to develop their ideas further.

 

• Gates Grand Challenges – In September 2018 the Global Grand Challenges Explorations was launched to urge innovators to discover and develop meaningful digital solutions that improve access to safe, clean water and sanitation in urban areas. Having received over 550 proposals from 47 different countries, 15 solutions were selected to go through an accelerator bootcamp to bring their concepts to life. Check out the case study here to find out more about the challenge and grantees

• U-Report Chatbot –A new chatbot feature was built for the U-Report mobile engagement platform. This facilitated the exchange of lifesaving information during the pandemic for millions of young people across 42 countries. Through their regular communication channels, users were able to ask U-Report questions about Covid-19 and received pre-programed answers from experts. The Chatbot strengthened the ability to assess needs, tackle misinformation, and share reliable information on where communities could seek assistance. Following the release of COVID-19 vaccines in 2021, the platform continued to function as a particularly useful and timely tool in building vaccine confidence.

 

• Flood Modelling – Working in collaboration with the UNICEF Malawi Country Office, Arm is supporting work on predictive flood modelling using drones and AI for emergency preparedness. While unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) use is helpful at the onset of emergency, drones combined with machine learning can create more impact through predictive analytics and insights before a natural disaster strikes. Conducting flood mapping using ground data collection, GIS, and drones allows for a faster flood assessment which can improve our humanitarian efforts and save more lives.

 

• Giga – Launched in 2019 by UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Giga aims to connect every school in the world to the Internet. Giga brings together global leaders in finance and technology, including Arm, to accelerate the innovations and investments critical to closing the digital divide. Inspiring Arm’s people to get behind our mission is an important part of our partnership. Between 2019 till 2021, we have held many mapping volunteering sessions which directly engaged Arm employees. Mapping work undertaken by volunteers from Arm helped plot over 75,000 buildings, home to over 300,000 people.

 

• Inspiring the Tech Industry – UNICEF and Arm are inspiring the tech industry to innovate for impact and collaborate towards building a world fit for every child through development of Digital Public Goods. Over 2 billion lives can be changed by investing in emerging cities across the world, while also generating up to $2 trillion in revenue by 2022 (Tech Bets for an Urban World research). Our ambition is to provide a platform that discovers, develops and shares open-source technologies or data or software and contribute to identifying over 200+ open-source Digital Public Goods projects.