Coca-Cola is leading a consortium of companies and non-profit organizations as it looks to roll out 2,000 off-grid water kiosks to rural communities in as many as 20 countries by late 2015. The end goal is to deliver half a billion liters of clean drinking water to these communities while also providing entrepreneurial opportunities to millions of women.
The modular water kiosks, dubbed EKOCENTERs, are constructed from 20-foot shipping containers that don't just provide clean water but also help provide wireless communications capabilities and off-grid electricity. Each unit is capable of purifying 300,000 liters of water a year.
The other companies involved in the project including IBM, which will provide technology and business consulting services and UPS, which will help out with logistics and operations support.
These off-grid water kiosks prove that rich multi-national corporations can make wonder happen when they join forces for the greater good.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Off-grid Water Kiosks
- Opportunity to provide clean drinking water and entrepreneurial opportunities in rural communities.
- Modular Water Kiosks
- Innovation potential in using shipping containers to provide clean water, wireless communications, and off-grid electricity.
- Consortium Collaboration
- The power of collaboration between multi-national corporations and non-profit organizations to create positive impact.
Where This Applies
- Beverage Industry
- Potential for beverage companies to expand their social impact by investing in off-grid water kiosks and clean drinking water initiatives.
- Renewable Energy Industry
- Disruption opportunity for the renewable energy industry to integrate off-grid electricity solutions in water kiosks and rural communities.
- Technology Consulting Industry
- Increasing demand for technology consulting services in the development and maintenance of off-grid water kiosks and related infrastructure.
