Proposed flagship project | O.R. Tambo & Wild Coast
eMbo CoLab Hub
Our proposed research and innovation flagship for delivering Indigenomics Africa. The envisioned hub links community-authorised knowledge with professional capability, applied research, technology, production and markets, beginning with Indigenous health and wellbeing.
How the hub works
A living lab ecosystem across Africa
The eMbo CoLab Hub is designed to work as a living lab: research and innovation happen inside real communities, with the people who hold the knowledge as co-creators, not as research subjects. It begins on the Wild Coast and is designed to extend, community by community, across Africa.
“User-centred, open innovation ecosystems based on a systematic user co-creation approach, integrating research and innovation processes in real-life communities and settings.”
Four partners, communities at the centre
Communities and knowledge holders
At the centre, active co-creators who set priorities, give consent and co-own what is built.
Research and training institutions
Validation, codification, testing and capability transfer on agreed terms.
Government and public authorities
Policy, permissions, recognition and public services that let innovation scale.
Enterprise, buyers and investors
Demand, specifications, finance and routes to market.
The living lab cycle
- 1
Co-design
Communities and partners define the problem and the solution together.
- 2
Test
Ideas are tried in real-life community settings, first on the Wild Coast, then in partner communities across Africa.
- 3
Validate
Evidence on quality, safety, demand and economics is gathered with users.
- 4
Scale
Proven products and services move into community-owned enterprise and markets, and the model is shared with new living lab sites across the continent.
A focused first phase
Begin with what customers and communities can sustain
Practical learning occurs within supervised work. Specialist testing, clinical research and regulated manufacture initially use qualified partners.
- 01Producer and practitioner capability
- 02Enterprise records and costing
- 03Sustainable cultivation and sourcing
- 04Product-development partnerships
- 05Shared processing or packaging justified by customers
Integrated production
One productive system
Cultivation & local value addition
Producer pathways around suitable Indigenous crops, medicinal plants and validated biological resources, from propagation to processing, quality, packaging and customers.
Research & professional capability
Community-defined priorities guide research partnerships. Validation, testing, safety evidence and registration determine which products advance.
Workforce & enterprise access
Supervised practical learning, recognition pathways, technical skills and enterprise management connected to producers, employers and buyers.
Biodiversity & resilient infrastructure
Sustainable sourcing, ecological monitoring, water security and renewable energy sized to real productive loads.
The investment case
Separate capital for separate needs
IPROSA prepares separate financing packages for research and skills, shared infrastructure, enterprise equipment and working capital. Expansion follows verified demand, funded capacity and delivery performance.
The preparation package establishes community mandates, site and land-use arrangements, water and energy requirements, permissions, operator capability, initial customers, capital and operating costs, ownership terms and measurable outcomes.
Request the investment briefPartner with IPROSA
Build Africa's Indigenous Economy With Us
We welcome Indigenous communities, knowledge holders, practitioners, research institutions, governments, industry and development partners committed to equitable Indigenous economic development.
Participate
Communities, knowledge holders and practitioners
Talk to us about community priorities, professional development, knowledge governance and economic participation.
Discuss ParticipationCollaborate
Researchers, institutions and enterprise partners
Explore institutional partnerships, research collaboration, innovation, skills development and enterprise opportunities.
Propose a CollaborationTrade and Invest
Buyers, funders and investors
Explore opportunities to support Indigenous enterprises, value chains, market development and community-centred investment initiatives.
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