Partners
Project Ngulia is operated as a Private Public Partnership (PPP)
with the following current partners in both Kenya and Sweden
KWS
As the primary co-developer and beneficiary of Project Ngulia, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is a key stakeholder in the project, having deployed the command and control system in the Ngulia Rhino sanctuary, located in Tsavo West National Park, before it can be scaled to other National Parks in Kenya. The KWS rangers constantly offer feedback to and recommendations to improve the system’s features and functionalities.
KWS conserves and manages Kenya’s wildlife for the Kenyan people and the world. It is a state corporation that was established by an Act of Parliament (Cap 376), now repealed by WCMA (2013), with the mandate to conserve and manage wildlife in Kenya, and to enforce related laws and regulations.
KWS undertakes conservation and management of wildlife resources across all protected areas systems in collaboration with stakeholders. It is their goal to work with others to conserve, protect and sustainably manage wildlife resources. The community wildlife program of KWS in collaboration with others encourages biodiversity conservation by communities living on land essential to wildlife, such as wildlife corridors and dispersal lands outside parks and reserves.
Airtel Kenya
Since 2016, Airtel Kenya has supported Project Ngulia by providing 3G+ network connectivity. Additionally, Airtel has also donated SIM cards, which they continue to top up monthly with an SMS + voice + internet data bundle that allows the project to continue to run smoothly. Airtel’s invaluable support to the project allows for smooth working of the smart- phone based command, control and communications (C3) system that digitises the workflow of the rangers in the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary.
Bharti Airtel Limited is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 16 countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company ranks amongst the top 3 mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers, with over 413 million customers across its operations at the end of March 2018.
Airtel Kenya began operations in November 2010 following the acquisition of Zain by Bharti Airtel earlier in June the same year. Their network covers about 80% of population with continued efforts to increase coverage across all parts of the country.
Since 2010, they have endeavoured to bring the costs of communication to affordable levels by introducing value for money products and services thus offering the required competition in the Kenyan telecommunications market.
As one of Kenya’s top mobile communications companies, Airtel’s aim is to connect communities across Kenya by providing relevant and innovative mobile solutions to all. They pride themselves in having a team that is committed and driven to ensure that their customers’ expectations are met.
LiU
Under the Leadership of Professor Fredrik Gustafsson, Linköping University (LiU) based in Sweden has not only provided a home for Project Ngulia but also facilitated and contributed to funding the research and development of the sensors and other technology deployed by the project.
In close collaboration with the business world and society, Linköping University (LiU) conducts world-leading, boundary-crossing research in fields including materials science, IT and hearing. In the same spirit, the university offers many innovative educational programmes, many of them with a clear vocational focus, leading to qualification for example, doctors, teachers, economists and engineers.
The university has 32,000 students and 4,000 employees on four campuses. Together they seek answers to the complex questions facing us today. Their students are among the most desirable in the labour market and international rankings consistently place LiU as a leading global university. LiU achieved university status in 1975 and innovation is their only tradition.
Kolmården Wildlife Park
The Kolmården Wildlife Park has been a key partner to project Ngulia since 2016 by allowing the project to use its Savannah area to carry out research and testing. Additionally, Kolmården Foundation, the fundraising arm of the Kolmården Wildlife Park, supports the project financially.
Today, thousands of animals are threatened with extinction, and the list of species at risk of extinction is getting longer. Kolmården Wildlife Park is a Swedish zoo that opened in 1965 overlooking Bråviken bay in Sweden. It is the largest zoo in Scandinavia. The zoo’s mission is to help conservation by ensuring that endangered species survive. To do this, they carry out research to understand animals better, and educate man on the balance between man and nature, so that more people understand how to care for animals and nature in the future.
As one of Europe’s premier zoos, Kolmården’s three pillars are conservation, research and education.
Contractual partners
HiQ
Project Ngulia prides itself on ensuring that all its technology outputs are intuitive and user-friendly, through focusing on User Experience (UX) as well as using Design Thinking and Human Centered Design principles. This is made possible by the invaluable partnership with HiQ, a Swedish technology, design and communication company.
Since the project’s inception, Project Ngulia software development has been led by HiQ’s Martin Stenmarck, our world class Systems Engineer and Project Manager.
HiQ makes a difference by thinking differently and doing differently. Think of them as a one-stop shop at the intersection of technology, people and business. There they make the world a better place by simplifying and improving people's lives with the help of technology, design and communication.