The #FestivalOfCooling Round Up
What a week last week was at the Festival of Cooling at the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain (ACES) in Kigali, Rwanda! For 4 days, we had demonstrations, panel discussions, professional development, mentorship, photography exhibits, market insights, networking and collaboration – not to mention 3 fantastic competitions. This included photographers showing us how cooling manifests in their lives and a longlist of innovators meet with experts across technology, supply chain and scaling, market development, business models and plans, and financing. The whole Festival was engaging, insightful and has left us feeling excited for the future and next steps. What follows is a roundup of the Festival, and some of the key highlights.
Before that, we just want to take this opportunity to thank all the organisers, volunteers and supporters who helped make this Festival possible. Every single person who contributed has done a fantastic job – it's very much appreciated!
The Festival of Cooling day-by-day round up
Day 1: Tuesday 7th October: Focus on the Health Sector
This day spotlighted the life-saving role of cold-chains in healthcare, enabling safe storage and delivery of vaccines, blood, and antivenoms. Further discussion on the links between sustainable cooling and One Health will be explored at the upcoming Sustainable Cold-Chain for the Global South conference, at University of Birmingham, 28-29 October.
Researchers demonstrated how the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones in vaccine delivery can support rural health centres that face unstable electricity supply and unreliable refrigeration equipment for vaccine storage. An estimated 25–50% of vaccines are compromised due to temperature deviations and incomplete vial usage in resource-limited settings.
“The use of drones will ensure vaccines are transported directly from the national centre for vaccines to health centres for immediate vaccination.” - Jean Pierre Musabyimana, Head of the One Health Department at ACES.
Toby Peters, Professor of Cold Economy at the University of Birmingham and Programme Director of ACES, explained that cooling and cold-chain systems are vital for keeping vaccines effective from the moment they are produced until they are administered:
“What we’re doing is finding ways to deliver vaccines while maintaining the correct temperature. We’re improving cooling systems and exploring how to use new technologies, such as drones, to transport vaccines. For me, this is really about how we can mitigate the losses we’re seeing — 25% of vaccines and 37% of food are lost. That’s economic value, that’s investment, and that’s people’s lives. This is why the cold chain is critical infrastructure.”
The project, titled: “Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in Critical Vaccine Supply Chain Systems to Minimise Cold Storage Needs in Rural African Settings” is funded mainly by the JP Moulton Charitable Foundation, with additional support from the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), the University of Rwanda, the University of Birmingham, Zipline Rwanda, the Clean Cooling Network, and other partners.
Albertine Uwajeneza, a Flight and Cold-Chain Technician at Zipline Rwanda, said the partnership with ACES has strengthened her team’s expertise:
“ACES has trained us in advanced techniques for storing vaccines and maintaining cold-chain systems. We now handle blood, vaccines for humans and animals, and food supplements more efficiently than before.”
An encouraging first day that led us to our second.
Day 2: Wednesday 8th October: Focus on schools and education
Bringing together students and teachers from eight secondary schools across Rwanda, Day 2 aimed to help students understand cold-chains, their impact on vaccines and food, and how sustainable cooling can improve learning and future livelihoods. Day 2 also aimed to inspire students to pursue careers in engineering, food systems, and sustainable technologies.
Students got to take part in Lego-based demonstrations of refrigeration components, copper cutting and bending exercises, and interactive quizzes – among other fun activities.
Aimé Arcade Mpano, a Level 5 student at Nyamata Technical Secondary School said on the day:
“In class, we study Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning systems theoretically, but here I’ve seen how they actually work. I can now relate theory to real equipment.”
Dr Jean-Baptiste Ndahetuye, Head of Research at ACES, added:
“Our goal was to help students understand refrigeration as a practical skill with diverse career pathways, from operating refrigerated trucks and maintaining cooling systems to ensuring food safety.”
The role of training, Continuous Professional Development and capacity building will be a focus of the upcoming Clean Cooling Network conference, with sessions exploring the need for capacity building in the Global South and the role of ACES in providing holistic solutions to this challenge.
To learn more about Day 2 of the Festival, please read: Students explore cooling innovations at ACES festival
Another great day at the Festival!
Day 3: Thursday 9th October: Focus on Creatives, Startups & Innovation Hubs
Bringing together start-ups, innovators, cooling experts, university students, and staff, among others, Day 3 celebrated the intersection of innovation, design, and entrepreneurship in the cooling sector, where ideas evolve into scalable solutions that improve lives and markets.
What’s more - and as part of the start-up pitch competition - a longlist of innovators were invited to engage with experts in technology, supply chains, market development, business modelling, and financing. The start-ups included NTOM, which develops wearable sensors; Livestock IoT, which focuses on smart livestock monitoring; Green Energy Technology Ltd, which offers solar-powered storage solutions; and Solar Powered Grain Drier, which provides solar-powered grain drying solutions. All startups gained expert advice, feedback on prototypes and business models, networking opportunities, and guidance.
Patrick Ndayisaba, Founder of Greenover Africa said:
“We have successfully developed a prototype, and we are currently looking for partners to help us scale up the project”. His team are focused on helping small-scale farmers in rural areas without access to electricity reduce post-harvest losses.
Further, polytechnic students had the chance to meet with innovators and experts during the festival.
Technology testing and demonstration are critical to supporting innovation. The challenges and opportunities for technology selection, testing and demonstration will be discussed at the upcoming Sustainable Cold-Chain for the Global South conference, with a focus on the need to Test in Africa for Africa. Register here to attend and find out more.
To learn more about Day 3 of the Festival, please read: Start-Ups Meet Experts in Innovation Clinic
Day 4: Friday 10th October: Focus on Farmers outreach, as well as High-level Stakeholders & Policymakers
On the fourth day of the Festival of Cooling, farmers had the chance to learn about sustainable cooling solutions to reduce post-harvest losses.
They also engaged directly with key decision-makers, including the Baroness Chapman of Darlington, UK Minister for International Development and Africa; Hon. Dr Bernadette Arakwiye, Rwanda’s Minister of Environment; and Hon. Telesphore Ndabamenye, Minister of State for Agriculture and Animal Resources. Together, they explored how to accelerate the adoption of sustainable cooling and cold-chain solutions in the agricultural sector.
Across much of sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions, farmers lose between 20% and 50% of their perishable produce after harvest, not due to poor yields, but because of the lack of reliable cold-chain infrastructure.
To help address this challenge, farmers participated in sessions to better understand innovative cooling solutions, including solar-powered cold rooms, pre-cooling units, and temperature-monitoring tools.
Through hands-on training, they learned about best practices in post-harvest handling, methods for reducing spoilage, the right timing and techniques for cooling, and basic load management to maximise shelf life.
Interactive sessions also introduced farmers to financing models such as leasing, pay-as-you-store, and cooling-as-a-service, highlighting how access to cooling can unlock new, high-value markets.
Farmers are also connected with agribusinesses, exporters, input suppliers, and government programmes that can support them in expanding their post-harvest capabilities.
Peer-to-peer learning was a prominent feature, with farmers who have already adopted cold-chain solutions sharing their experiences and successes.
"As a farmer, after exploring the different cooling solutions, I realised we have several options to tackle post-harvest losses..." said Marie Claire Umubyeyi from Rwamagana District. She continued:
"I met others who are using solar-powered cold rooms for perishable produce, an essential solution in rural areas without access to the national electricity grid. We hope ACES will support more farmers."
Claudine Niragire, another farmer who grows fruits and vegetables for export, shared how cooling solutions are helping ensure consistent market access:
"We store our produce in cold rooms where it stays fresh until we find buyers. We harvest French beans during the dry season, and our crops are never spoiled thanks to these facilities."
Prof. Toby Peters, Professor of Cold Economy at the University of Birmingham and Programme Director of ACES, commended the presence of ministers from Rwanda and the UK for their support of the initiative:
"We were honoured to welcome ministers from both the UK and Rwanda. They were genuinely excited to see our work and to understand how we are supporting Rwanda’s national vision, empowering farmers, reducing food loss, creating economic opportunities, and especially the work we’re doing with women and youth..." He continued:
"We’ve received significant commitment and support from them. This programme is already being extensively funded through contributions from both the UK and Rwandan governments."
The officials met with farmers and engineers to explore how they can further scale and support the programme across Rwanda.
Hon. Telesphore Ndabamenye, Minister of State for Agriculture and Animal Resources, reiterated the central role of farmers in achieving national food security and emphasised the need to accelerate the uptake of post-harvest technologies:
"We are optimistic that farmers who visited the cooling centre will go on to adopt the available cooling solutions. Those who have gained knowledge and experience should also share it with others."
The lack of cold-chain infrastructure not only reduces incomes and undermines nutrition but also exacerbates gender disparities and constrains national GDP issues central to Rwanda’s Strategic Plan for the Transformation of Agriculture (PSTA 5).
Hon. Dr. Bernadette Arakwiye, Rwanda’s Minister of Environment, added:
"As the Festival of Cooling wraps up, ACES demonstrates how global agreements such as the Kigali Amendment and the Montreal Protocol can deliver tangible local impact through strong partnerships and local ownership. In a warming world, cooling isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. I encourage everyone to visit ACES and see the solutions in action."
The day brought together the architects of systemic change: ministers, policymakers, development finance institutions, multilateral agencies, and private sector leaders. These are the key actors who can unlock catalytic investments, embed cold-chain priorities into national development strategies, and institutionalise support mechanisms that deliver long-term, inclusive impact.
What’s next at the Clean Cooling Network?
At the Cool World Conference, taking place on the 28th and 29th October 2025, and at the University of Birmingham, we’ll be advancing the collaborative thinking on how we, as a community, can provide cooling and cold-chain services that are sustainable, affordable, resilient and holistic to all. This will be a collaborative, multi-stakeholder event with a focus on discussions and workshops for end-users, academics, Development Agencies and NGOs – as well as industry and investor groups – to share ideas, make connections and develop thinking around cold-chain. Key topic discussions will include: cooling as critical national infrastructure; cold-chain for One Health; cold-chain for economically empowering farmer communities; energy transition; cold-chain through GESI lens. We will also have colleagues from Africa and India in attendance to present work and impact on the ground.
Join us at the University of Birmingham for this fantastic event and help shape the future of cold-chain for all.