Do you represent a makerspace located in Ghana, Kenya or South Africa?
The Innovative Manufacturing in Africa Project, which is funded by the UKaid through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, is a 9-month project that will support research and innovation capabilities in the hardware maker innovation ecosystem in Africa.
The Innovative Manufacturing in Africa Project aims to strengthen the hardware maker innovation ecosystem and its research capacity in Ghana, Kenya and South Africa by:
We are seeking 9 Makerspace Leaders who represent spaces led by or serving underrepresented or marginalised groups in Kenya, Ghana and South Africa, each of whom would received an award of $19,200.00USD.
The DEADLINE for priority consideration of applications is Friday February 24, 2023. Applicants will receive response regarding their proposals by February 28, 2023.
You should consider applying for this award if you hold a leadership role in a makerspace that has the following characteristics:
Required
Any/All of the Following:
Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Statement
Successful development within the Innovative Manufacturing in Africa Project will rely on the equitable representation of needs from everyone, particularly those in areas that are the hardest to reach and are most underrepresented. Our project design focuses on the inclusion and intersection of multiple identities, and how that that intersectionality impacts the current landscape in innovation, makerspaces, and manufacturing. Taking into consideration social and cultural factors such as ethnic and religious identities, sexual identity, age, ability, and socioeconomic status, we conscientiously take measures to inform everything from program development to analysis, communication and dissemination of outcomes, and inclusive participatory research and learning practices.
While gender equality in industry has shown to benefit industrial product and economic development, barriers for gender expression, diverse sexual orientation, and inclusion in makerspaces, maker education, and research is still a big problem. To actively address this continued gap and champion allyship in support of equity and inclusion for all, priority consideration will be given to applications from makerspaces that represent a diverse perspective and/or focus on underrepresented or marginalized groups, including but not limited to:
We are integrating safeguarding measures into our programs to protect people from unintended harm and will protect program participant data in accordance with GDPR compliance. We are equally committed to the protection of children against abuse and inequitable labor practices. To protect against child labor and abuse, applications will only be considered if the makerspace does not rely on or benefit from the work or the employment of anyone under the age of 18 yrs.
We are seeking 9 Makerspace Leaders who represent spaces led by or serving underrepresented or marginalised groups in Kenya, Ghana and South Africa, each of whom would receive an award of $19,000.00USD to participate in the RISA Project:
Innovative Manufacturing in Africa: strengthening the hardware maker innovation ecosystem and its research capacity in Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa with partnerships to grow the evidence base.
Over the course of the 9-month project term (April-December 2023), successful applications will be responsible for/expected to:
Adoption and integration of innovative infrastructures, including:
Participate in activities related to strengthening the research capacity of makerspaces as innovative manufacturing hubs, including:
Participate in action research into distributed production using common innovative infrastructures, including:
Participate in evaluation and assessment activities to establish common research for evidence of the impacts of makerspaces as innovation hubs, including:
Meet regularly with the Distributed Manufacturing Project Support Team and project cohort members over the course of the project;
Oversight of and support for the project will be provided by a diverse, predominantly female-led project team that will work closely with the Africa Makerspace Network and a pre-identified roster of expert mentors.
The ‘Research and Innovation Systems for Africa’ (RISA) Fund is a programme to support and strengthen research and innovation systems in six countries: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Ethiopia. The programme runs from 2021 to 2024 and is funded by UKAid. The objectives of this fund are to support research organisations to have the capabilities necessary to produce relevant, high-quality research and to create an enabling environment for researchers and research organisations; and to strengthen the enablers for scaling of new and emerging technologies with high potential for poverty reduction and inclusive growth.
Makerspaces are the hubs for a new emerging innovation ecosystem on the African continent [1]. This ecosystem supports innovative local manufacturing using techniques such as digital fabrication through 3D Printing or laser cutting, human-centred design process and rapid prototyping [2]. Makerspaces have become educational hubs for training the next generation of engineers and craftspeople [3]. They support start-ups in design, prototyping and batch manufacturing. They support local factories that seek to develop new products [4] and laboratories that seek to conduct research. And they act as places where young innovators can make a livelihood by making devices using open hardware or on contract with proprietary designs [5]. They represent the hubs of a new paradigm of production – distributed production, rather than centralised mass production [6]. And they offer a way to support the development of new forms of economic growth [7].
But they are not well researched and demands for evidence of their impact are increasing, particularly from policy-makers and donors.
This project will address gaps in research and innovation systems in makerspaces and their ecosystems with the following activities:
The impact of The Innovative Manufacturing in Africa Awards will be a significant increase in the research and innovation capacity and financial stability of makerspaces in support of sustainable economic growth and resilient livelihoods in Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.
If you have any questions regarding the application process or the project information that is presented above, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us any time at info@internetofproduction.org.
