New year, new affiliates! Electronics Watch celebrates its first full consortium affiliation, and tenth UK University.
Electronics Watch has started 2017 with another exciting milestone, announcing its first full consortium membership, Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges (APUC), the purchasing consortium for Scotland's Universities and Colleges. All of APUC's 44 higher and further educational institutions have become Consortium Affiliates of Electronics Watch through APUC. This is the first time a whole sector of public bodies in a country has affiliated, and demonstrates the push within the sector in Scotland to achieve a transparent and fair supply chain for the products they purchase.
The Scottish higher and further education sector was fundamental in the establishment of Electronics Watch, with The University of Edinburgh, University of Aberdeen and APUC itself all being Founding Members of the organisation. CEO Angus Warren, said: "This joined up, collaborative approach enables all APUC Members to reap the benefits of Electronics Watch membership and provides a strong collective push on electronic industry brands to improve labour conditions in their supply chains. APUC is delighted to enable a whole national sector membership of Electronics Watch and looks forward to the positive changes this will enable."
At the same time, London South Bank University has become the tenth UK individual university affiliate. The Deputy Vice Chancellor at LSBU, Professor Pat Bailey, said: "LSBU is proud to have joined forces with Electronics Watch, helping to spearhead a movement among higher education institutions across the UK towards achieving a more humane and ethical supply chain for all our goods and services. We would like to see all UK universities following the group's example and rolling out ethical procurement."