Festival of Cooling
A week-long event in October exploring the growing importance of cooling and cold-chains in a fast-warming world
The Clean Cooling Network and the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain (ACES) are hosting a 5-day, public engagement “Festival of Cooling” at the ACES Campus in Kigali, Rwanda, and via an outreach programme.
The aim is to engage the public and explore the growing importance of cooling and cold-chains in a fast-warming world - through a week of events, panel discussions, demonstrations, competitions, and workshops on campus and online. Outreach to schools, communities, government, and businesses will also take place.
Enter our competitions
Be part of something cool
As part of the Festival of Cooling, we invite you to take part in two different competitions.
Both of the competitions - run by the Clean Cooling Network - are aimed at African Residents. We're especially interested in encouraging women and youth-led applicants to take part in both the Photography and Start-up Pitch competitions, though all are welcome.
- The Photography competition - You're invited to shine a light on how cooling manifests in your day-to-day life, whether that's through food, health, nature, technology or another way meaningful to you.
- Start-up Pitch competition - We're calling on young companies to step forward and showcase solutions that could make cooling and cold-chain smarter, cleaner, and more accessible in Rwanda with potential to scale up in the Global South.
Festival registration is now open
The festival is spread over 5 full days, from Monday 6th to Friday 10th, October 2025, with each day focusing on a different cooling and cold-chain theme.
Morning sessions require free advance registration, which you can see below. After lunch, sessions are open without prior booking. Spaces for certain workshops and competitions are limited, so early registration is encouraged.
Festival of Cooling Day 1 - Focus on Farmers outreach
Connecting smallholder farmers, cooperatives, and agri-entrepreneurs to practical post-harvest cooling solutions. Sessions will focus on reducing losses, accessing finance, and adopting technologies that improve food quality and profitability. Join us on the 6th of October.
Festival of Cooling Day 2 - Focus on the Health Sector
Spotlighting the life-saving role of cold-chains in healthcare, enabling safe storage and delivery of vaccines, blood, and antivenoms. Health workers, planners, and logisticians will gain tools, insights, and networks to strengthen health cold-chains. Join us on the 7th of October.
Festival of Cooling Day 3 - Focus on Schools & Education
Engaging the next generation of innovators and decision-makers through hands-on learning, storytelling, and creative experimentation. Students will explore real-world cooling challenges and explore careers in sustainable cooling, logistics, and climate action. Join us on the 8th of October.
Festival of Cooling Day 4 - Focus on Creatives, Startups & Innovation Hubs
Celebrating creativity, entrepreneurship, and the fusion of art and science. This will provide a launchpad for bold ideas, showcase innovations, and inspire youth-led problem-solving for climate-smart cold-chains. Join us on the 9th of October.
Festival of Cooling Day 5 - Focus on High-level Stakeholders & Policymakers
Setting the strategic tone, aligning government, finance, academia, and industry partners around a shared policy and investment roadmap for resilient, just, and climate-aligned cold-chains in Africa. Join us on the 10th of October.
Rubirizi Venue
Everything will be held at our ACES Rubirizi Campus, Kigali, Rwanda.
ACES Rubirizi Campus
Kigali, Rwanda
The Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-Chain (ACES) is ideally situated in the capital of Kigali.
Let’s be clear; this isn’t a conference. It’s not a trade show. And it won't be boring ... By introducing cold-chain and clean cooling concepts into schools and universities, we’re not just adding another topic. "We’re planting the seeds of resilience, innovation, and empowerment."
