NETWORKS AS ENABLERS FOR
INTERNATIONAL
COOPERATION IN
AFRICAN COUNTRIES
November 19, 2015
FinCEAL Plus
CLIC Innovation Seminar
Helsinki
Project researcher
Joni Karjalainen
Finland Futures Research Centre
OUTLINE
• About and background
• Three cases of local renewable
energy related networks with
Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania and
South Africa:
• Focus on NEO-CARBON ENERGY
research project
• Thoughts and discussion points
• Finland Futures Research Centre (Tulevaisuuden tutkimuskeskus) is a
department of University of Turku, Turku School of Economics (TSE)
• Futures research across energy, climate, economy, development
studies, media, regional studies, et cetera
• Master’s and PhD Programme, Summer School
• 11–12.6.2015, Turku, Futures Studies Tackling Wicked Problems, World
Conference (had 260 participants from 33 countries), next in 2017
• Sustainable Development Futures (SDF) research group.
New web page opened! Go to: www.sdfutures.fi
FINLAND FUTURES
RESEARCH CENTRE
www.sdfutures.fi I: http://www.utu.fi/en/units/ffrc/Pages/home.aspx I https://twitter.com/ffrc_tutu
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Finland-Futures-Research-Centre/249618445069700?ref=hl
OWN BACKGROUND
• Project researcher• NEO-CARBON ENERGY project. (Kenya,
Tanzania and South Africa)
• Energy for All: Role of energy models and
scenarios in the era of climate change
• Development futures in Kenya and Tanzania
Beyond 2015
• PhD in futures research (on-going) + political,
economic, development, energy view
• In Nairobi, Kenya in 2012-13, Rio+20 in
Brazil 2012, in Douala, Cameroon in 2010
THREE CASES OF LOCAL RENEWABLE
ENERGY NETWORKS:
A SPECIAL FOCUS ON NEO-CARBON
ENERGY RESEARCH PROJECT
Case I: New research opportunities from
NGO and student exchange in Cameroon
• In 2015, Finland Futures Research Centre funding
application in a joint research consortium. Small
component on regional impacts of climate change in
Western Africa (with univ. partner from Cameroon)
• In 2010, worked in a local association called Mieux
Etre & collaboration with student-based AIESEC
HAMK
KENYA
FUAS- FINLAND
KENYATTA UNIVERSITY
CRAFTSKILLS
NAIROBI RIVER
BASIN PROJECTSTRATHMORE UNIVERSITY KIRDI Carbon Manna
SACDEP Kenya
UN HABITAT
UNDP
NEW SOLUTIONS
VALUE NETWORK
FINNISH SMEs
KENYA/FINNISH SMEs
GENI
STAMP
INVESTMENT
S
MILETUS GROUP
CONNECT NETWORK BUILDING IN KENYA
HAMKFUAS- FINLAND
County Government
Machakos, Embu, Marsabit, Kwale-Wasini, Nakuru
CLIMATE INNOVATION CENTER CHANDARIA INNOVATION CENTER
STUDENT -COMPANY KEN
KIJANI GROU
P
DIASPORA/CSO-SHALIN RY/STUDENTS
Horizontal Needs Baseline
STUDENT -
COMPANY FIN
CASE II: CONNECT
CASE III:
NEO-CARBON ENERGY
NETWORKS OF INTERNATIONAL
FORESIGHT ACTIVITIES
Neo-Carbon Energy is one of Tekes strategic research openings.
For businesses,
decision-makers and
citizens
Anticipate possible socio-
economic and business-
related futures enabled by
the neo-carbon energy
system.
Focus on new sources
of economic growth and
emerging lifestyles, and
interconnectedness:
Prosumerism,
peer-to-peer,
neo-growth,
third industrial revolution
NEO-CARBON ENERGY
FUTURES RESEARCH
Holistic, transdisciplinary and whole-of-society perspective on neo-carbon energy system.
Focus on disruptions, transformations and discontinuities enabled and
fostered by the neo-carbon system.
NEO-CARBON ENERGY
INTERNATIONAL FORESIGHT
ACTIVITIES IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES
• Case countries • Feasibility of the NEO-CARBON ENERGY model• Cross-fertilization of research• Reflections for transformative scenarios 2050: technological
development, business opportunities, socio-economic trends as well as lifestyles changes
African countries (Joni Karjalainen)• South Africa (April 2015): meetings, interviews, group interviews• Kenya (September 2015): meetings, interviews, futures roundtable• Tanzania (October 2015): meetings, interviews, futures workshop
Also: China, Korea, Australia, Latin American region
Can African countries deviate from CO2-
intensive development paths, while aspiring
to industrialize?
SOUTH AFRICA
• Networks: Millennium Project is a global think tank that operates
through local nodes (South African node), Uni. Turku past
university and futures reserach collaboration
• Research: In Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Grahamstown, Pretoria,
Johannesburg – Universities and research bodies, business case
studies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), public sector
(meetings, interviews, etc.)
• SANEDI as a technology platform in South Africa.
Universities have focus areas across renewables.
KENYA
• Emerging Alternative Energy Futures and
Kenya 2050 in Nairobi 24.9.2015, presenting
Neo-Carbon Energy, organised with Society
for International Development (the Millennium
Project node in East Africa)
• Local experts: Strathmore University, Institute
for Economic Affairs Kenya, private sector,
NGOs, think tanks
TANZANIA
• Innovating Alternative Energy Futures
and Tanzania 2050, organized in
BUNI Innovation Hub, Dar es Salaam
8.10.2015
• Participants from Energy Change Lab
– young innovators of new energy
solutions. Research also included
meetings, interviews.
• Research stakeholders: local energy
actors, energy startups, Embassy of
Finland, TANZICT, BUNI,
et cetera
WHAT TO REMEMBER?
• Make the research process open and participatory
(eg. NGOs, innovation hubs, living labs, SMEs,
youth, use snowballing method). Get feedback for
research, disseminate results, test hypotheses.
Getting to know people can later open minds for
follow-up activities.
• Use existing knowledge. Talk to Africans in
Finland, Africa-related networks, and other
Finland-based actors before your research. Think
ahead of later opportunities for collaboration.
THOUGHTS AND DISCUSSION
POINTS• Networks exist in many levels: grassroots to high-level. They are
not communities. They enable sharing of information & ideas
• How about living labs for energy – from software to hardware?
Innovation hubs enable learning & culture of doing beyond projects
• Small- and medium-sized enterprises in EU/Horizon criteria. Why do
Finnish SMEs fear venturing out of the safety networks in Finland?
• People change organisations, but carry knowledge and contacts. Do
actors in Finland actively use networks & tap into collaboration offers?
NEO-CARBON ENERGY
www.neocarbonenergy.fi
NEO-CARBON ENERGY - ENABLING NEO-GROWTH SOCIETY 2050
http://www.utu.fi/en/units/ffrc/research/projects/energy/Pages/neo-fore.aspx
Towards the third industrial revolution. NEO-CARBON ENERGY project Future
Clinique I ”Creating the Third Industrial Revolution” 6.5.2015
https://www.utu.fi/fi/yksikot/ffrc/julkaisut/e-tutu/Documents/FFRC-eBook-6-
2015.pdf
Selected FFRC e-Books:
Luukkanen J et al. (2015), Development Futures in Kenya and Tanzania Beyond 2015
https://www.utu.fi/fi/yksikot/ffrc/julkaisut/e-tutu/Documents/FFRC-eBook-1-2015.pdf
Karjalainen J et al. (2014), Energy models and scenarios in the era of climate change.
https://www.utu.fi/fi/yksikot/ffrc/julkaisut/e-tutu/Documents/eBook_3-2014.pdf.
“But you never know…
innovations are so dynamic.
Like mobiles – it is very recent!”
REFERENCES
University of Turku, Finland Futures Research Centre,
Project researcher, Joni Karjalainen, [email protected]
NEO-CARBON Energy project is one of the Tekes strategy research openings
and the project is carried out in cooperation with Technical Research Centre of
Finland VTT Ltd, Lappeenranta University of Technology LUT and
University of Turku, Finland Futures Research Centre.