Beyond Global Data Festival 2026: Building Environmental Data Ecosystems Rooted in Trust, Stewardship, and Sustainability.
29 June, 2026
How do we ensure Africa’s most promising Climate AI innovations don’t stop at the prototype stage? This is the question the Local Development Research Institute, through its Research & Innovation for Climate Hub, will explore at Deep Learning Indaba 2026 during its session, “From Prototype to Impact: Scaling Responsible Climate AI from Africa.”
This session will be a working session where we will work through the hard, unresolved questions of what responsible scaling actually requires, and forge the data, research, and funding partnerships that sustain innovations at the intersection of climate and AI. The session is not only a working session but also a showcase where participants leave having contributed to the next generation of scaled AI climate innovations.
We’re inviting innovators attending the conference from 2nd-7th Aug 2026 to apply to present a live demonstration of their Climate AI solution during the Hub’s session which will be taking place on 6th Aug 2026.
This is not a pitch competition. Instead, it is an opportunity for honest conversation where we will dedicate time for questions, feedback, and connection. Selected innovators will demonstrate their work to an audience of researchers, funders, policymakers, practitioners, and fellow innovators. We want to help you find partnerships and support for the hard problems your innovation is still wrestling with.
We’re looking for innovations that:
- Address climate challenges relevant to African contexts.
- Have progressed beyond the prototype stage and are already being tested or used with communities or end users the innovation is intended for.
- Are led by or based in Africa.
Why participate?
By showcasing your innovation, you’ll have the opportunity to:
- Connect with researchers, funders, policymakers, practitioners, and fellow innovators shaping Africa’s Climate AI ecosystem.
- Build new partnerships that can help strengthen and scale your work.
- Join the growing RICH Hub community advancing responsible Climate AI across the continent.
- Receive valuable feedback through dialogue with experts and peers.
- Increase the visibility and potential impact of your innovation beyond the conference.
Whether you’re working on climate adaptation, resilience, agriculture, biodiversity, disaster risk reduction, environmental monitoring, or other climate challenges, we’d love to hear from you.
Applications Deadline extension: 30th July 2026
