In collaboration with its partners The Cyprus Institute (CYI), Three O’clock, CARTIF, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal (UKZN), and IHE Delft, Strathmore University is hosting a week-long event dedicated to sustainable innovation through the Transitional Living Labs. Running from March 10 to March 14, 2025, this initiative is part of the ONEPlanET Project, a European Union-funded effort to equip Africa with cutting-edge open-source Nexus modelling tools for planning sustainable energy transitions.

The event kicked off, March 10, 2025, with The Cyprus Institute and the European Network of Living Labs (ENOLL) sharing their experiences in implementing Living Labs. This knowledge-sharing and co-creation session continues through March 11, setting the stage for deeper engagement with real-world sustainability challenges.

On Wednesday, March 12, 2025, the ONEPlanET Modelling Team will take center stage, demonstrating and testing the ONEPlanET toolkit, an advanced systems dynamic model designed to optimize Africa’s Water, Energy, and Food (WEF) systems. Participants will experience first-hand how this user-friendly toolkit can drive evidence-based policymaking and resource management within the nexus.

The grand finale will be the much-anticipated Hackathon on Thursday, March 13, 2025. This high-energy competition will challenge participants to solve WEF-related policy, technical, and social issues in Africa. With a grand prize of Kshs. 265,000 (EUR 2,000) at stake, innovators will work against the clock to develop groundbreaking solutions that could shape the country’s sustainability landscape. Winners will undergo further mentorship and coaching to implement their innovative solutions.

Gladys Kerubo Ombati, Statistics, Data Analytics and Modelling Lead for Strathmore University, believes that conventional research models are no longer enough in an era where climate change, resource scarcity, and urban sustainability pose unprecedented complex challenges. Enter Living Labs with its quadruple helix. Dynamic, real-world testing grounds where policymakers, researchers, businesses, and local communities co-create, experiment, and refine solutions in real-time.

“Traditional research often operates in isolation, relying on controlled environments that may not reflect real-world complexities. Living Labs disrupt this model by embedding research within the very ecosystems they aim to transform. They allow for direct interaction with end users, ensuring that solutions are theoretical, practical, scalable, and sustainable,” explains Gladys.

The ONEPlanET Project recognizes that water, energy, and food are deeply interconnected. Tackling one aspect without considering the others can lead to dire unintended consequences. The ONEPlanET WEF Transitional Living Lab bridges these gaps by:

~Identifying and addressing trade-offs and synergies between water, energy, and food systems.

~Developing integrated solutions through co-creation with local communities.

~Promoting sustainable resource management by considering environmental, economic, and social factors.

~Building community resilience by empowering stakeholders to take charge of their own sustainable future.

With real-world data and hands-on collaboration, the ONEPlanET WEF Living Lab is more than just a theoretical concept. It is a pioneering model for Africa’s sustainable development. This initiative transforms research into action, ensuring that solutions are developed, tested, and refined within real communities.

During his opening remarks, Prof. Izael Da Silva, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research and Innovation, emphasized the power of partnerships in driving impactful change. He underscored that sustainable development cannot be achieved in isolation. It requires collaboration between academia, industry, and government to create lasting solutions.

“Success in any transformative project hinges on collaboration. By working together, we ensure that innovation moves beyond research papers and becomes a reality that benefits communities on the ground,” Prof. Da Silva remarked.

He further expressed optimism about the Living Lab initiative, noting that it has the potential to deliver meaningful results not only for the partners involved but, most importantly, for the local communities that will directly benefit.

“We are grateful for this initiative and believe that it will be a win-win for all stakeholders, creating sustainable solutions that truly serve the people.”

Living Labs represent a paradigm shift in how we approach innovation. They challenge the notion that solutions should be dictated from boardrooms and laboratories, advocating, instead, for grassroots involvement. By actively engaging local communities, Living Labs ensure that projects like ONEPlanET are not just effective but also embraced by the very people they aim to benefit.

As the world grapples with sustainability challenges, Living Labs in projects and initiatives like ONEPlanET prove that collaborative innovation is the key to lasting change. Strathmore University is proud to be at the forefront of this movement, championing a future where research meets reality and solutions are not just imagined but lived.

Article written by Stephen Wakhu