Introduction

In November 2024, DastN GmbH delivered the "Membrane Knowledge Hub" platform for the University of Duisburg-Essen, a key component of the WE-Africa initiative. The platform serves as a central digital space, bringing together academic and industry stakeholders to drive solutions for Africa's urgent water and energy sustainability challenges.

The Challenge:

The WE-Africa initiative aimed to connect academia and industry through a digital hub for knowledge-sharing and innovation. The platform needed to support diverse stakeholders, including several universities and industrial partners like DME GmbH and EvoSmart Ltd., ensuring secure data exchange, comply with GDPR, and include features like e-learning, event management, AI tools, and role-based access control, all while being scalable and user-friendly.

Solution:

DastN GmbH, with its expertise in digital transformation and software development, worked together with the University of Duisburg-Essen to design and deliver the innovative platform powered by Odoo Community 17; this platform offered a comprehensive feature set tailored to the WE-Africa initiative: 

• Collaboration Tools: Secure data exchange, file sharing, and communication tools for smooth interaction among stakeholders.
• E-Learning Modules: Interactive learning resources to assist in knowledge dissemination and capacity building.
• Event Management: Webinar, conference, and event management tools with custom templates and advanced reporting features.
•  AI Integration: Intelligent functionalities designed to help enhance the user experience and optimize platform operations.
• Document Management: A strong system for documents management, accessing and auditing.
• Mobile Accessibility: Ensuring that users can reach the platform anytime, from anywhere.

The project was completed in 5 phases, from gathering the requirements down to final delivery, and subsequent support, meeting all required deliverables in due course.

Impact:

The platform's launch has innovatively changed the way academic and industrial partners collaborate in the WE-Africa initiative:

•   Enhanced Collaboration: It connected key universities such as Fayoum University from Egypt, Mohamed V University from Morocco, and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology from Ghana with the industrial partners for cross-border innovation and collaboration.
• Smarter Efficiency: Features like role-based access control and advanced reporting tools have streamlined the workflows, enabling stakeholders to invest more time in impactful research and development.
• Scalability & Longevity: With 4 years of ongoing support and maintenance, the platform will evolve to meet the growing needs of the initiative. This is to ensure long-term success and sustainability.

Representatives from the University of Duisburg-Essen reported being very pleased with how the platform empowered collaboration and innovation across multiple sectors.

Key Success Factors:

1. Expert Team: The work was led by a highly skilled team that included the Project Manager, Ph.D. Hammad; Account Manager, M.A. Sulaiman; experts in cybersecurity, UX/UI design, and content strategy.

2. Client Collaboration: Strong coordination with the University of Duisburg-Essen ensured that the platform's design met both academic and administrative needs.

3. Compliance & Security: Comply with GDPR and NRW conditions of contract assured data protection and quality of assurance, providing a secure atmosphere for all users.

Looking Ahead:

The WE-Africa initiative is at the center of transformative change, promoting collaboration between academia and industry in solving some of Africa's most pressing challenges. Developing a central platform for innovation and knowledge sharing, WE-Africa will be catalyzing not only the sharing but also the translation of ideas into sustainable and actionable solutions in water-energy management across the continent. With its capacity to be continuously improved and scaled in line with the long-term development goals of the region, it will be an important core for change, with empowered stakeholders who will be able to respond to their complex environment and infrastructure challenges.

DastN GmbH feels proud of being a strategic partner in this impactful project and showcases how technology, if embraced with a purpose, can lead to lasting positive change. As WE-Africa will keep growing, it shall remain the bedrock for efforts toward a sustainable future for Africa while showcasing the deep potential of digital innovation to solve global challenges.