An Archimedes-inspired sit-to-stand desk to tackle workplace sedentarism

Project Information

Archimede

Grant agreement ID: 877406

DOI

10.3030/877406

Project closed

EC signature date 2 August 2019

Start date 1 August 2019

End date 30 November 2019

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

MARA SRL
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Archimede (An Archimedes-inspired sit-to-stand desk to tackle workplace sedentarism)

Reporting period: 2019-08-01 to 2019-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

There are approximately 3 million yearly deaths directly associated to a sedentary lifestyle. In Europe, an estimated 24.5% of the population does not have a sufficiently active lifestyle, leading to associated conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and musculoskeletal disorders. In office environments, workers sit for prolonged periods of time, increasing inactivity and the risks of certain forms of cancer. Sit-to-stand desks have therefore become increasingly popular to avoid prolonged sitting, but current electric, crank and gas based systems are not easy to use. Mara has created a height-adjustable desk series to enable workers to quickly and easily transform their tables to standing workstations. It is based on our “no gravity” effect thanks to our counter-balance mechanism that absorbs the weight of the tabletop, making it very easy to use. As such, we will help in increasing daily physical activity and reduce health risks associated with prolonged sitting.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the Feasibility Study, we have identified the steps required to bring our Archimede desk to commercial ready status. Our Work Plan details the technical developments we will implement, as well as the material and personnel resources needed to finalize our Accelerator project. We have performed a market and SWOT analysis, as well as risk, competitor and FTO assessments to confirm that we can proceed with our project, and to better understand the market context in which we will be.
We have also confirmed the total required budget to execute our Accelerator project, and the financial projections for the first 5 years of commercialization.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Conventional sitting desks induce a sedentary lifestyle by allowing a person to sit during hours on end, leading to avoidable health conditions. Inactivity has become a real problem in today’s society. With health issues also come healthcare costs, with approximately €43.7 billion yearly healthcare costs that are the result of physical inactivity, and €11.3 billion more due to lost productivity. But current sit-to-stand desk alternatives have been ineffective in resolving this issue. Our Archimede desk will enable a healthier lifestyle by aiding in alleviating the health and economic effects of sedentarism through more physical activity at the workplace. Our expectation is to have the finalized Archimede desk series on the market by 2022 and subsequently attain a cumulative revenue of €87.5 million during the first 5 years of commercialization.

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