Urban Product

Urban Product (UP) is convinced that there is a multitude of brilliant and committed people and organizations that have put in place highly useful sustainable solutions to global challenges. At the same time, UP realizes that these products and services do not reach a large proportion of the population, limiting their social impact. UP's mission is to be a social incubator for the “redistribution of sustainable solutions”. In concrete terms, UP has launched the UP Energise project, piloted by Energise Cameroon, which aims to increase access in Cameroon to green, reliable energy sources as a lever for socio-economic development. To achieve this, UP is building bridges between initiatives led by the diaspora and citizens wishing to contribute to a form of energy justice yet to be invented.

UP is aimed directly at:- members of diasporas established in Belgium/Europe/US who, in various forms, maintain links of solidarity with their country of origin, either individually or via associations (formal or informal);- other citizens interested in better understanding the dynamics of solidarity carried by diasporas, also interested in climate justice issues. In the near future, UP would also like to reach out to private-sector players who, as part of their corporate social responsibility, could also make a contribution.UP's “Fair Energy” concept is likely to be extended to countries other than Cameroon in the future, but the idea will always be to focus on projects where access to green, reliable energy can either - strengthen/improve the distribution of basic services (education, health, water, etc.) - or contribute to sustainable local economic development. Bangladesh will be piloted in 2025, Democratic Republic of Congo is in an explorative phase.

Finally, what are our main activities?

• Social mining activities: fieldwork to reach out to the diasporas (e.g. tontine groups, association parties, gathering places, investor circles, etc.) to explore, better understand and enhance the dynamics that exist and support them.

• Prospecting to identify local technical and financial partners (in Cameroon & Bangladesh for the moment) offering reliable, sustainable solutions that guarantee a high level of professionalism in needs analysis, installation and after-sales service of the proposed solutions.

• Consulting support to find or develop the most appropriate financial mechanisms to fund projects.

• Organization of “Diaspora Economics” cafe-debates, with the aim of creating greater mutual understanding between citizens.

• Publication of analyses/studies; hosting of student-interns interested in the social economy and social impact.