Summer students develop revolutionary sustainability smartphone app

This summer, DNV GL has given eight graduate students the scope and resources to develop an innovative digital product. The outcome, which was presented today in front of DNV GL staff and leadership, is a digital sustainability platform that will help consumers and businesses do their part in fulfilling the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

HØVIK, August 10th: In June, eight graduate students from all across Norway were given the task of finding a digital solution that can create new growth opportunities for businesses operating in a demanding economic landscape.

“In a rapidly changing world, we are constantly dependent on creative ideas to improve. As a 150-year old company, we see a great benefit in getting digital natives onboard to help us stay innovative. That is why we at DNV GL have gathered some of Norway's brightest and most ambitious talents to work with our own experts over the summer. It has been impressive to see what they have accomplished over a short period”, says senior consultant at DNV GL, Kristina Dahlberg.

After six weeks of hard work, the students have unveiled Wembo: a digital platform aiming to help the world reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Over the summer the students have come to realize that these global goals will play a major role in their future work life.

“Before I started working on the project I didn’t really grasp how big the negative impact we humans are having on the planet. The Wembo project has opened my eyes for how bad the situation will be if we go on in the same direction. I hope Wembo can contribute to a more sustainable economy”, says graduate student at NHH and co-developer of Wembo, Stefan Michael Elston.

Profitable for businesses

Wembo consists of two products: Wembo Analytics and Wembo Go.

Wembo Analytics is a web portal that will enable companies to monitor and improve their sustainability performance across their supply chain. Wembo Go is a smartphone application that lets companies provide consumers with the global sustainability impact of their products. The aim is to encourage more sustainable consumption.

“Transparency, collaboration and sharing will be the key elements in reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Wembo combines these in a platform that can provide us a safer, smarter, and greener future. Through transparency we build trust, and research clearly shows that investors, customers and talent all are attracted to those companies and brands that are active in their sustainability approach. Wembo represents an entirely new platform of transparency that will benefit both business and consumers, says Chief Sustainability Officer at DNV GL, Bjorn Kj. Haugland.

DNV GL is now looking at the possibility of developing the Wembo product further.

Facts about Wembo:  

• Wembo consists of two digital products: a smartphone application (Wembo Go) for the consumer and a website (Wembo Analytics) for businesses. 
• The purpose of Wembo is to inspire to action and improvement through awareness. 
• Wembo Analytics is a tool companies can use to monitor and improve their own sustainable production development. 
• When using Wembo Go consumers get specific information about products when they shop in a store or online. 
• DNV GL aims to create a focus on sustainable business models and to encourage industries to see the opportunities and the value of being transparent. 
• Through Wembo businesses can choose to share information of every link in their products supply chain. The information is then analyzed by DNV GL's data center that will provide companies with a score of how sustainable their production is.  

Facts about DNV GL's summer project  

• DNV GL's summer project is an annual program organized for students in their fourth year of a master’s degree program. 2016 marks the ninth year of implementing the summer project. 
• Among 400 applicants, eight students from the fields of engineering (marine, machine, cybernetics, physics and mathematics, energy and environment) and economy, were chosen to work on the project. 
• DNV GL summer project is a popular and well-respected project, which gives the students a solid reference for future work. 
• DNV GLs ambition with the summer project is to give employees of the future a chance to work on real issues. 
• The project themes chosen each year are always time appropriate. 
  

UN Sustainable Development Goals 

1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

Source: Sustainabledevelopment.un.org