How Sartorius have taken the leap and donated

As part of the Instrumental Access campaign we hear from one of the donor companies on why you and your company should join them in helping scientists in developing nations 

People become scientists not only because it provides a wealth of opportunity in a wide spectrum of emerging fields, but because they have a desire to cure disease, an ambition to bring new ideas and concepts to life through innovation, and an inherent sense of leadership. And most of the time, scientists have one common trait that binds them all together – a genuine passion for making the world a better place.

At Sartorius, a global organisation serving the laboratory and pharma industries for 145 years, there’s a concentrated effort to ensure that our passion for science is put to good use. Our corporate values – sustainability, openness, and enjoyment – guide us and our 5,600 employees worldwide. In exploring opportunities that are in harmony with these values, we were excited to discover Seeding Labs and its Instrumental Access program that equips scientists in the developing world. It gives us a way to connect Sartorius to the community of global scientists in a sustainable way.

Since our founding in 1870, sustainability has been one of Sartorius’ central goals. To us, sustainability means building responsible, long-term relationships with our stakeholders; fostering scientists and their ability to bring new innovations to life; and a commitment to treating our natural resources responsibly and being a good corporate neighbour at all our sites worldwide.

It’s this focus on sustainability that makes our partnership with Seeding Labs so natural – it directly aligns with our corporate values. We are proud to donate new, unopened equipment, instrumentation, and laboratory supplies to the Seeding Labs cause. In fact, it’s so natural that Sartorius has committed to making significant donations twice annually to Instrumental Access. Our donations routinely comprise analytical balances, moisture analysers, pH meters and probes, pipettes, and pipette tips. All of these products can be found on a typical lab bench and are considered staples in most forms of research – yet they are among the equipment and supplies our fellow scientists in the developing world need to further accelerate their research and teaching.

Sartorius first learned about Seeding Labs at a regional Laboratory Products Association meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Nina Dudnik, the founder and CEO of Seeding Labs, gave a moving presentation about the organisation’s mission of helping talented scientists in developing countries conduct life-changing research. We were immediately motivated by the vision of Seeding Labs and its purpose: To provide these scientists with the resources they need but often do not have access to, including lab equipment, training, and introductions to key influencers in their field.

“Take stock of the things you do for fun and the things you do in your spare time,” said Dudnik, a call to action that resonated with the Sartorians. Enjoyment – working in an energetic and rewarding environment—is one of the company’s three corporate values employees are tasked to emulate and bring to life each day. These values connect Sartorius and our employees with the research and production community we serve, our business partners and investors, and our global society. Working with Seeding Labs further complements these values.

We realise the opportunity that comes from close cooperation with Seeding Labs is mutually beneficial. Of course, product is exchanged and utilised at the recipient laboratories only in the form of a donation and there’s no revenue recorded or sale to be made. We concentrate our social outreach activities on areas that relate to our core business – and fortunately, Seeding Labs falls directly within that target area and serves a segment of researchers that we simply can’t reach because of their remote location. However, what Sartorius considers to be most important is the chance to promote the advancement of scientific research, to contribute to a grassroots effort that will create new scientists and treatments for the world’s ailments, and a global culture of putting science to use in order to make the world a better place.

Sartorius approaches the partnership with Seeding Labs just as we would with any other organisation: with an open mind, an eye on building long-lasting mutually-beneficial relationships, and a willingness to contribute to the mission at the highest level. We have found the work and interactions with the entire Seeding Labs organisation rewarding. We have benefited from the interaction, feedback, and cooperation with the Seeding Labs team, and Sartorius would highly recommend other manufacturers that serve the laboratory marketplace to reach out to Seeding Labs so they can find a way to contribute as well.

We believe our employees truly have a passion for science – that’s why they’ve joined our company – and there’s no better way to bring that to life than through support of Seeding Labs.

– If you or your company, university or institution are interested in learning more about donating equipment contact: equipment@seedinglabs.org

– If you are interested in sponsoring a shipment contact: development@seedinglabs.org

– To find out how you can give of your time to support the organisation: volunteers@seedinglabs.org

– If you are a scientist interested in one of our programs, you can also learn more about our application process at www.seedinglabs.org

The author:

Richard Jezykowski is Director of Channel Management, North America at Sartorius Corporation.