Microsoft 4Afrika has announced a new Collaboration Challenge with AfriLabs. The challenge was launched at this year’s DEMO Africa event, and is tasking hub members with proposing and delivering an activity, process or tool that fosters collaboration within the AfriLabs network. AfriLabs’ core function is to facilitate collaboration, which requires the right platforms, mechanisms and incentives for hubs and their teams to share information and dialogue. The winning solution will receive USD 15,000 from Microsoft and technical support to develop it.
The hubs within the AfriLabs network will be provided with a more efficient way to learn from each others best practices and build more sustainable models. Two of these hubs, the Co-creation hub in Nigeria and the iHub in Kenya, have been recognised as best performing models. The iHub has launched 152 successful local start-ups to date, encouraging the local Kenyan government to commit to establishing a tech hub in each of its 47 counties.
“Collaboration fuels innovation. It encourages people to learn from each other and build on better and bigger ideas,” says Annie Njenga, Innovation Hubs Manager for Microsoft. “Innovation hubs give developers a collaborative space where organisations can assist them with the technical and business skills needed to get their businesses off the ground. They bring different people together who otherwise would never have met, and create successful companies that strengthen local economies.”
Hub members who enter the challenge will have until the 24th of October 2014 to submit their concepts and vote for their favourite ideas. All those proposing an application need to design it for the Windows platform and host it on Microsoft Azure, an open and flexible cloud platform with a single software-as-a-service offering that manages the entire lifecycle of an application. The winning individual or team will receive financial, technical and mentorship support from Microsoft to help them execute the concept.
Staff Writer
