IKEA Foundation works with us in many ways. Most notable is the Refugee Housing Unit, a smart alternative to shelter.
The IKEA Foundation is dedicated to improving the home lives of families everywhere. As an indispensible partner of UNHCR, it is making sure that even displaced and refugee families, who must cope with limited access to infrastructure, sustainable livelihoods and education, have a safe place to call home.
With its purposeful and global mission, the IKEA Foundation has been a major supporter of UNHCR for many years. Looking for a dedicated group inside UNHCR with which it could interface and brainstorm new ideas, the Foundation became a founding partner of UNHCR Innovation.
“UNHCR Innovation is a catalyst in driving out-of-the-box thinking inside the UNHCR organization, and I wanted to be part of that because that’s how we think at the company I represent.”
-Per Heggenes, IKEA Foundation
The IKEA Foundation is involved in many of UNHCR Innovation’s most successful initiatives. The Foundation funded the development of an alternative shelter prototype called the Refugee Housing Unit (RHU). This was done through a joint partnership with UNHCR Innovation, and Swedish industrial design firm, Refugee Housing Unit. The RHU is a flat-packed shelter, which will allow UNHCR to provide a portable, safe, and sturdy structure to displaced communities around the world.
Recognizing that finding sustainable energy solutions has broad implications for refugee protection, health, education and livelihoods, the Foundation recently funded an Energy Lab Coordinator position in the UNHCR Innovation office to lead efforts on energy access and efficiency.
Through these long-term collaborations, the IKEA Foundation and UNHCR Innovation are making refugee assistance smarter and more sustainable. The partnership benefits refugees, and it helps IKEA continue to showcase itself as a global authority on innovative problem solving.
