Building A Future Together : Sharing Knowledge & Know-How

Welcome to the metaLAB wiki. A virtual place where together, metaLAB people and our partners, work up creative ideas, pool & organise collaborative knowledge and know-how and, track on-going activities.

We are 'for profit' social entrepreneurs prepared to risk our own resources - time, money and know-how - in order to develop a concept to the point when potential partners can see the opportunities and risks clearly enough to make an appropriate commitment.  We then all work  together to produce commercially sustainable products and services.

Our focus - replicable, sustainable, user driven, multi-stakeholder initiatives - that seek to address the needs of the poor and the vulnerable in systemic ways - both in the UK and in developing countries.  more>>

We work closely with many organisations including:

  • Meraka (African Advanced Institute for Information and Communication Technology) at the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research)  in South Africa. Meraka is focused on facilitating African economic and social development through human capital development and needs-based research and innovation, leading to sustainable products and services with a high social impact
  • Wireless Africa Alliance  funded by IDRC
  • The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU)
  • AIDSPortal part of the UK Consortium on AIDS and International Development
  • SARIMA Southern Africa Research and Innovation Managers Association
  • Motataisi Foundation in Lesotho (part of the Living Labs Community in Southern Africa)
  • Growth International, a UK Company faciitating change management in organisations and communities
  • Kwantu Media is a metaLAB joint venture company based in South Africa partnering with In-Form Systems, African experts in performance management systems for overseeing multiple development programmes.  Now creating a sophisticated tool kit for performance monitoring and evaluation, based on open source software.
  • Momento's of Africa, manufactures fine kid mohair goods for the fashion and interior design markets.  Such is the quality that 75% of the output is sold overseas.  It is a predominantly black owned South African company, dedicated to the upliftment of previously disadvantaged people.

An Open Invitation to Explore a Collaboration with metaLAB

metaLAB works by building or joining partnerships. So, we always welcome approaches from stakeholders with an interest in our initiatives. We aim to encourage a two way interaction between colleagues in Africa and in Europe.

Specific Opportunities

Currently, we also have the following specific opportunities

  • Two UK Based Interns (unpaid) - Business Orientated or Technically Orientated  more>>

  • Young Professional and Post-Graduate Exchange Programme with the Meraka Institute in South Africa more>>

  • Companies wishing to apply their Game Development Skills to a Project with High Social Impact more>>

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