Mr. Toshihiro Nakamura, Co-founder and CEO of the KOPERNIK and his staff met with Professor Sukehiro Hasegawa and explained how the KOPERNIK works by sourcing, connecting & reinvesting in simple technology for poor people. According to Mr. Nakamura, the value of KOPERNIK technology transfer to poor people has been growing at a rapid rate of 45 per cent a year since the Kopernik was established 5 years ago, Among staff of 80 people, five Australian volunteers are contributing a great deal to the planning and management of Kopernik operations. Please click here to access the KOPERNIK homepage.

　The main source of KOPERNIK income comes from corporate donor contributions from Daiwa Securities, Japan Airlines, Exxon Mobile, J.P. Morgan, Panasonic、Philips as well as Rockefeller and other foundations. Kopernik has also recently received support from the aid agencies, such as USAID, Department of Foreign Affairs of Australia.

　In addition to Kopernik’s main role to distribute innovative technologies to the last mile, Kopernik has also been helping corporations to develop simple technologies that could empower the poor communities in the developing world. To date, Kopernik supported the development of water filtration product, health related product and fish dryer to name a few.