Co-designing Kenyan-Danish AI and Robotics for Sustainability and Impact
13-04-26
The world is experiencing a rapid decline in biodiversity. In 2023, Professor Ulrik Pagh Schultz Lundquist from the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), together with an international network of scientists, launched the WildDrone project. The project aims to help address the biodiversity crisis by developing a sustainable robotics and drone ecosystem for East Africa.
By Jane Callesen and Vibeke Quaade
“In Kenya, escalating threats to wildlife and biodiversity loss have underscored the urgent need for more effective, scalable, and cost-efficient tools to support conservation efforts.” The WildDrone project addresses this crisis by advancing drone and AI technologies for monitoring wildlife, tracking movements, and reducing human–wildlife conflict across Europe and Africa.
From the beginning, WildDrone was driven by a vision to expand the role of drones within environmental sustainability initiatives. Developed with consortium partners, it has grown into a collaborative doctoral network that connects researchers with conservation practitioners, equipping them to tackle real-world challenges through hands-on experience.
However, while the project succeeded in training a group of interdisciplinary PhD students and advancing conservation technology, the consortium partners identified an urgent need for sustainable change in the application of drone and AI technologies for nature conservation in Kenya.
“Ideally we would develop an ecosystem that facilitates educational activities between Kenyan and Danish universities, fostering a drone, robotics and AI innovative culture while connecting companies and technology stakeholders from both countries”, says Professor Ulrik Pagh Schultz Lundquist, WildDrone Coordinator and Head of University of Southern Denmark’s Drone Center.
To make this vision a reality, Professor Lundquist teamed up with Yvonne Brandle-Amolo from 4APioneer, an organization dedicated to supporting sustainable partnerships between Global South and Global North. Based on this collaboration, a consortium of universities applied for seed funding for the project Co-designing Kenyan-Danish AI and Robotics for Sustainability and Impact (CO-KENDAI) through the Knowledge and Innovation Programme in 2025. Seed funding grants are small, early-stage grants designed to support new collaborations between Danish universities and partner institutions in African countries to co-develop a project proposal for a partnership project.
The application was successful.
“The primary goal of the project is to build a sustainable, local education and innovation ecosystem in East Africa integrating robotics, AI, and drone technology,” says Professor Lundquist.
“This includes co-designing technology that suits local contexts, engaging with regulations, and inspiring new visions for what technology should achieve.”
To date, the activities under the CO-KENDAI seed funding project have included a first collaborative “hackathon” week for 40 researchers and students involved in the WildDrone EU project. On the Kenyan savannah in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, the students, among other activities, demonstrated experimental AI and drone work and presenting it at the Global Conservation Tech & Drones Forum. The initiative got coverage by the Kenyan TV channel Family TV (link).
Future plans involve inviting the Kenyan project partners to Denmark, where faculty members will visit the University of Southern Denmark and the SDU Drone Center. Additionally, a one-week partnership proposal writers’ workshop in Nairobi with all partners is scheduled to further strengthen collaboration among all partners.
“We are enthusiastic about the project and the collaborative efforts underway, which contribute to developing long-term sustainable innovation in Kenya through co-creation of educational partnerships.” says Yvonne Brandle-Amolo, CEO of 4APioneer and Swiss member of parliament.
Ulrik Pagh Schultz Lundquist´s three tips for potential applicants of seed funding projects under the Knowledge and Innovation programme
1.Set up the seed funding project in a way that includes many of the same elements as you want in your partnership, in this way it will help to uncover risks relevant to the partnership.
2.Travel back and forth between Denmark and Africa, bringing partners both ways, is essential for supporting co-creation and thus getting a good basis for partnerships.
3.When planning your project, keep in mind that travel needs significant preparation, so allocate enough time for planning and enough budget for the African partners to do the necessary support work.
Key facts about Co-designing Kenyan-Danish AI and Robotics for Sustainability and Impact (CO-KENDAI)
Project period: 2026
Funding: Supported by Denmark’s Knowledge and Innovation Programme (KIP) with a total grant of DKK 500.000.
Scope: Support the development of a partnership proposal to be submitted to the 2026 KIP Call.
Participants: The seed funding project for Co-designing Kenyan-Danish AI and Robotics for Sustainability and Impact involves Kenyatta University (KU) and University of Southern Denmark (SDU), with Open University of Kenya and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) as potential future members of the partnership, and 4APioneer as secondary partner co-leading the project together with KU and SDU.
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