SEED Annual Symposium 2024
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Nairobi, Kenya
August 26 - 30, 2024
The SEED Annual Symposium 2024 took place from August 26 to 30, 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya, and was hosted in collaboration with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). The Symposium brought together members of the SEED network for a week of academic exchange, strategic discussions, and collaboration across research, teaching, and practice.
The 2024 program focused strongly on mini-grids, productive use of energy, entrepreneurship, and the future of renewable energy systems in the Global South. It combined keynote sessions, disciplinary and interdisciplinary workshops, poster presentations, and site visits, while also creating space for internal exchange among project coordinators, researchers, and partner universities.
Photos: TUM SEED Center
Photos: TUM SEED Center
Photos: TUM SEED Center
Photos: TUM SEED Center
Photos: TUM SEED Center
About the 2024 Symposium
The 2024 Symposium placed a strong emphasis on the connection between research, innovation, and local implementation. Hosted in Kenya, the program highlighted both the academic work of the SEED network and the practical realities of energy access, entrepreneurship, and infrastructure development in the region.
A special feature of the 2024 edition was its balance between disciplinary depth and interdisciplinary exchange. Dedicated sessions allowed participants to discuss research in entrepreneurship and sustainable energies separately, while interdisciplinary workshops brought these perspectives together around shared challenges and opportunities in the Global South.
The Symposium also served as an important working format for the SEED network itself. In addition to the public program, the week included internal meetings, paper development sessions, and exchanges among project coordinators and scholars from across partner universities.
The next SEED Annual Symposium 2025 took place in Munich, Germany.
Agenda Highlights
The official opening of the Symposium focused on welcome remarks, institutional exchange, and the future direction of the SEED Center.
Highlights:
- Welcome from JKUAT and Technical University of Munich (TUM)
- Presentation of the JKUAT Living Lab
- Reflection on the past, present, and future of the SEED Center
- Guided tour of the JKUAT campus and key departments
A day dedicated to disciplinary perspectives in entrepreneurship and sustainable energies.
Highlights:
- Keynote on policies for mini-grids in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Industry session on scaling solar-hybrid mini-grids
- Parallel research presentations in Entrepreneurship & Sustainable Energies
- Panel discussions and academic exchange across the network
A day focused on connecting technical, entrepreneurial, and policy perspectives.
Highlights:
- Session on solar hubs, productive use of energy, and e-mobility
- Exchange on sustainable energy ventures and business development
- Interdisciplinary workshops on mini-grids and productive use and Kenya’s geothermal potential
- Poster session and gala dinner
A day dedicated to learning from entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems in Nairobi.
Highlights:
- Site visits across Nairobi’s entrepreneurial ecosystem
- Exchange on innovation and implementation in practice
- Focus on the broader context of energy, startups, and local ecosystems
The final day focused on internal exchange, review, and next steps for the network.
Highlights:
- Project coordinators and steering committee meeting
- Reflection on Symposium outcomes
- Discussion of next steps for SEED collaboration
- Farewell lunch and optional local activities