Centres & SPOKEs

SPOKEs

SPecialised Outreach and Knowledge Establishments

Our centres are designed within a “Hub and SPOKE” model. 

While the hub is the physical centre, such as the ACES Rubirizi campus, SPOKEs are being developed in strategic locations, with expertise tailored to specific areas to demonstrate how these solutions can be deployed practically across the continent.  

What are SPOKEs?

a spoke consists of
knowledge and training site
cascades training
policy
policymakers
CCH
what a CCH can be used for
try before you buy
what try before you buy is


Other key elements of a SPOKE include: 

  • Farmers – making a financial commitment to a co-operative. 
  • The co-operative – investigating and developing their own financial models

Register interest for a SPOKE

spoke programme
The SPOKE Programme
© Clean Cooling Network

Complementing these, another key overarching pillar in the wider programme is training future trainers who can then go out and work either developing the model in their own communities or create a career supporting other communities. We also run a variety of underpinning foundation, policymaker and wider training programmes (in-person and online), including technical training for refrigeration engineers as well as health and safety and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) courses.

Interested in the "hub and SPOKE" model? Contact: [email protected]

Essential reading

Zachary Ndung'u Kibiri
"On the right track": Zachary Kibiri on the successes and struggles of the Lari Cooperative

3rd Dec 2025

Zachary Kibiri, a Kenyan farmer and chairman of the Lari Cooperative, discusses the benefits of being part of the cooperative, the challenges they face and what they're focused on going forward.

ACES Finance & Business Models Cold-chain Logistics Value Addition Farmers ACTS Kenya SPOKE Climate change
Students learning at the Festival of Cooling
ACES to welcome school children for a Special STEM visit on December 6th

2nd Dec 2025

The excitement from the 2025 Festival of Cooling is still spreading and this time, it’s bringing an entire class to ACES for a dedicated hands-on learning experience.

Clean Cooling Festival of Cooling Climate Resilience Learning Public Health Schools Food Security ACES Cold-chain
Dr Jean Baptiste Ndahetuye
"I’m very excited to be part of this movement": Head of Research, Jean Baptiste Ndahetuye, on five years at ACES

1st Dec 2025

Jean Baptiste Ndahetuye reflects on five years at ACES, including what he's most proud of, ACES's focus on community engagement and what he's looking forward to, in the next stage of work.

Finance & Business Models ACES Climate change Cold-chain Community Cooling Hub Community Farmers Engineers Policymakers Capacity Building & Training System Design & Modelling A Day in the Life
 Building The Next Generation of Vaccine Cold-Chain of Africa
The Vaccine Cold-Chain Symposium charts a new path for climate-resilient immunisation across Africa

25th Nov 2025

As heatwaves intensify and climate extremes push health systems to their limits, one truth is becoming impossible to ignore: lives depend on the cold-chain. The symposium made several commitments to protect vaccines and support humans and animals, as well as leave a lifesaving legacy.

One Health & Resilience Capacity Building & Training Temperature Vaccine Cold-chain Climate Resilience Training Resilience ACES Solar Vaccines One Health
Network News

The latest from the global Clean Cooling community

Card header image
ACES to welcome school children for a Special STEM visit on December 6th

The excitement from the 2025 Festival of Cooling is still spreading and this time, it’s bringing an entire class to ACES for a dedicated hands-on learning experience.

Card header image
Launch of a fast-tracked mini Centre of Excellence in Haryana, India

A mini Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Crop Post-harvest Management and Cold-Chain (CoE-SPMCC) to revolutionise sustainable cooling and cold-chain ecosystems in Haryana, India is being set up.

Card header image
Try Before You Buy

Derisking Cold-Chain Systems to help farmers validate business models in Kenya The uniqueness and advantage of the Try Before You Buy offer is that the associated technology is only introduced after farmers and cooperative leaders have undergone...

Card header image
IOR And ACES Sign MOU to Foster International Collaboration

The Institute of Refrigeration (IOR) and the African Centre for Excellence in Sustainable Cold Chain (ACES) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen collaboration and promote the exchange of ideas and expertise.

View all news
The Clean Cooling Network logo

Become a member

Join the network for free:

  • Cooling and cold-chain resources
  • Expert chats and debates
  • Cooling news, events & webinars
  • Support and much more
A thermometer in front of a city overheating under the hot sun

+50°C Community of Practice

Join the Living in a +50°C World Community of Practice to discuss these important issues, attend events and contribute!

The LinkedIn logo

Follow us

Born in Rwanda - Global in Vision