With the effects of climate change and the rapid depletion of fossil resources, the energy transition is becoming a major issue. The managers and technicians who will lead this energy transition locally need to be properly trained. It is with this in mind that the specialist training project in Building Energy Management and Renewable Energy (GEBER) was set up.
Jointly initiated by Belgian and Beninese researchers, the GEBER project is a real opportunity for Benin. Its rollout began with a scoping workshop held from 12 to 18 January 2024 at the Doctoral School of Engineering Sciences (ED-SDI) of UAC. Based at the École Normale Supérieure de l'Enseignement Technique in Lokossa, within Benin's National University of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (UNSTIM), the project is funded by Belgium's Academy for Research and Higher Education (ARES).
GEBER's coordination and implementation are led by Professor Philippe André in the North (Belgium) and Professor Comlan Aristide Houngan in the South (Benin), with SF World NGO as the key Southern partner.
The workshop's opening session brought together academics, relevant ministries and key institutions, including the National Fund for Scientific Research and Technological Innovation (FNRSIT), the Beninese Rural Electrification and Energy Management Agency (ABERME), the Doctoral School of Engineering Sciences (ED-SDI), the firm Takaz-Engineering, SF World NGO, architecture firms, Benin's Order of Civil Engineers, the 2iE Institute, and Belgian partners such as ARES, ULiège and Henallux.
It is worth noting that the GEBER project's Southern partner, SF World NGO, is a public-interest non-governmental organisation working to promote sustainable development. Through its commitment, it contributes to raising awareness of, and delivering on, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With a track record of activities in awareness-raising and renewable energy, it has proven to be an ideal partner for delivering the GEBER project.