1. Leveraging University-centred networks to support innovation and enterprise in Africa
A project supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering - Seed funding scheme
The research team:
Dr Andrew Fox University of Plymouth (UoP), UK
Dr Askwar Hilonga Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NMAIST), Arusha, Tanzania
Dr Veronica Kiluva Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Kakamega, Kenya
Prof. Sibilike Makhanu Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Kakamega, Kenya
Mrs Jayashree Prathap Oshwal College (OC), Nairobi, Kenya

2. UoP
This project created a university-centred network to support innovation and enterprise in Africa
United Kingdom
MMUST OC
Kenya
Tanzania
NMAIST
Gongali

3. A little bit of the project history…
The idea for this project was conceived at a RAEng research symposium, held in Edinburgh, in February 2017, attended by Dr Fox and Dr Hilonga. During the symposium, Dr Hilonga described to Dr Fox how, while working at NMAIST, he had invented a new domestic water filter (the Nanofilter®). The water filter had won many prestigious local and international awards and was selling well in Tanzania. When Dr Fox explained that he had links with MMUST in Kenya, the idea of linking the Universities to help distribute the Nanofilter in Kenya was created. The idea led to a proposal, which was successful in securing support from the RAEng under its “Frontiers of Engineering - Seed Funding Scheme”.
The project was implemented between April 2017 and February 2018.

4. The Nanofilter® was a well established and successful product in Tanzania, marketed by a commercial company set up by Dr. Hilonga;
Gongali Model Co. Ltd.

5. The project rationale…
Developing indigenous engineering solutions to address developmental problems across Sub-Saharan Africa is just the first step and many innovations fail to achieve an impact due to their inability to expand beyond their local environment. Considerable additional challenges can also be encountered when growing the distribution network of technologically advanced products.
The Nanofilter®, developed by Dr Askwar Hilonga, is one such highly sophisticated and technically advanced product. Its distribution and management requires an ecosystem of advanced engineering knowledge and skill. As such, any distribution partner needs to have water quality testing capabilities, business entrepreneurship skills as well as a capacity to conduct community engagement and community education programmes.
In Tanzania, the Nanofilter system benefitted from the support of NM-AIST and the Gongali company. To that we added UoP in the UK, MMUST, in Kakamega and OC in Nairobi. We challenged ourselves to set up one Nanofilter distribution centre at each University in Kenya and establish a network of “Water Stations” run by local entrepreneurs in areas around Nairobi and Kakamega.
By directly engaging ourselves in the establishment of the water distribution system, we would be better able to assess the viability of using a University-centred network as a means to support innovation and enterprise and we expected that lessons we learned could be applied more widely across Sub-Saharan Africa.
We adopted a Participatory Action Research approach

6. The project had 3 main objectives and expected to achieve 7 different outcomes
The project had three main objectives
Provide evidence to support the idea that University-centred networks are viable options to distribute indigenous African engineering innovations across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Identify solutions to the challenges facing African engineering innovators who are seeking to expand distribution networks of technically advanced engineering products beyond their local environment.
Increase the impact of the Nanofilter® product to address the problems of achieving a secure and safe domestic water supply in African communities that are not effectively served by other water supply infrastructure.
On completion of the proposed project, we expected to achieve the following outcomes
A capacity-built and trained community in Kakamega and Nairobi, Kenya, on sustainable water use.
A better and more sustainable water resources management system in Kenya and Tanzania.
A viable network for the wider distribution of the Nanofilter® at community level in Kakamega and Nairobi centred on community centres, schools, hospitals and commercial areas.
A more effective collaborative working network of stakeholders in the water sectors of Kenya and Tanzania.
A faster and easier model for distributing indigenous engineering innovations to address local development problems, with potential for scaling up across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Prepared and distributed reports, publications and recommendations for water authorities in Kenya and Tanzania.
Possible identification of design gaps in the Nanofilter® to help the innovator (AH) improve his system.

7. For this presentation I will only focus on the first main objective
The project had three main objectives
Provide evidence to support the idea that University-centred networks are viable options to distribute indigenous African engineering innovations across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Identify solutions to the challenges facing African engineering innovators who are seeking to expand distribution networks of technically advanced engineering products beyond their local environment.
Increase the impact of the Nanofilter® product to address the problems of achieving a secure and safe domestic water supply in African communities that are not effectively served by other water supply infrastructure.
On completion of the proposed project, we expected to achieve the following outcomes
A capacity-built and trained community in Kakamega and Nairobi, Kenya, on sustainable water use.
A better and more sustainable water resources management system in Kenya and Tanzania.
A viable network for the wider distribution of the Nanofilter® at community level in Kakamega and Nairobi centred on community centres, schools, hospitals and commercial areas.
A more effective collaborative working network of stakeholders in the water sectors of Kenya and Tanzania.
A faster and easier model for distributing indigenous engineering innovations to address local development problems, with potential for scaling up across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Prepared and distributed reports, publications and recommendations for water authorities in Kenya and Tanzania.
Possible identification of design gaps in the Nanofilter® to help the innovator (AH) improve his system.

8. Hopefully it makes a bit more sense
UoP
Returning to our organizational network diagram…
Hopefully it makes a bit more sense
United Kingdom
MMUST OC
Kenya
Tanzania
NMAIST
Gongali

9. UoP
We worked to leverage the university network in our participatory action to set up water stations in Kenya
United Kingdom
Water Stations
MMUST OC
Kenya
Water Stations
Tanzania
NMAIST
Gongali

10. Funds delivered in GBP but paid in KES, TZS, USD
We had a small budget, a tight schedule and complex financial arrangments
The project budget
Inst.
Budget
Travel & Sub.
Set-up Labs
Supply Filters
Water Testing
Comm. Edu.
Diss. Event
Admin
UoP
5,500
3,000
2,500
NM-AIST
8,500
1,500
7,000
MMUST
1,750
750
500
450 50 OC
4,250
Totals
20,000
6,000
1,000
900
100
Funds delivered in GBP but paid in KES, TZS, USD

11. This is an example of the water stations we wanted to establish in Kenya

12. Participatory Action Research
We started with a participant meeting in April 2017, at OC in Nairobi, Kenya

13. …and built water stations
Participatory Action Research
We did field research….
…and built water stations

14. Participatory Action Research
We finished with a participant workshop in February 2018, hosted by MMUST in Kakamega, Kenya

15. So, what about our first main objective…
The project had three main objectives
Provide evidence to support the idea that University-centred networks are viable options to distribute indigenous African engineering innovations across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Identify solutions to the challenges facing African engineering innovators who are seeking to expand distribution networks of technically advanced engineering products beyond their local environment.
Increase the impact of the Nanofilter® product to address the problems of achieving a secure and safe domestic water supply in African communities that are not effectively served by other water supply infrastructure.
On completion of the proposed project, we expected to achieve the following outcomes
A capacity-built and trained community in Kakamega and Nairobi, Kenya, on sustainable water use.
A better and more sustainable water resources management system in Kenya and Tanzania.
A viable network for the wider distribution of the Nanofilter® at community level in Kakamega and Nairobi centred on community centres, schools, hospitals and commercial areas.
A more effective collaborative working network of stakeholders in the water sectors of Kenya and Tanzania.
A faster and easier model for distributing indigenous engineering innovations to address local development problems, with potential for scaling up across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Prepared and distributed reports, publications and recommendations for water authorities in Kenya and Tanzania.
Possible identification of design gaps in the Nanofilter® to help the innovator (AH) improve his system.

16. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING
These are the main questions we were trying to answer…
In what ways do/can universities support the development of indigenous solutions to address developmental problems across Sub-Saharan Africa?
In what ways do/can universities play an effective role in enabling innovations to achieve an impact beyond their local environment?
What were the most/least effective features of the Water-LION university-centred network, in relation to:
the recruiting local entrepreneurs?
establishing a network of Water Stations enterprises using the Nanofilter?
What were the main challenges that needed to be overcome in order to engage universities in the Water-LION project?
How can we enhance the use of university-centred networks to support innovation and enterprise in Africa, from the perspective of:
Individual academics?
Higher Education Institutions?
Local communities?
We continue to seek answers to these questions and would welcome any support to explore them further…
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING