Kenya to forge collaboration in climate research with Germany
By Faith Macharia, June 27, 2025As climate change continues to intensify challenges across Kenya, German and Kenyan stakeholders are forging deeper partnerships in research and innovation aimed at supporting the country’s green transition.
In a Climate Talk session held in Nairobi, Germany’s Ambassador to Kenya, Sebastian Groth, admired Kenya’s efforts in sustainable energy while calling for closer ties between academia, private industry and global partners.
“What we’ve seen in Kenya, severe droughts, deadly floods is directly related to ongoing climate change. Yet, Kenya remains a continental frontrunner, with over 93 per cent of its electricity generated from renewables such as geothermal, hydro, solar, and wind,” said Groth.
The ambassador highlighted the value of Germany’s partnership with Kenya in advancing green technologies and sustainable economic development. He emphasised that while Germany has reached around 60 per cent renewable energy in its electricity mix, Kenya’s strides in sustainable energy make it a global role model.
“There’s a lot we can learn from Kenya. At the same time, our strength lies in robust collaboration between universities and industries, something we hope to help foster here as well,” said Groth.
The event was hosted by the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB), a leading German energy research centre, and marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with a Nairobi-based technical university. The agreement aims to promote joint research, infrastructure sharing, and academic exchange.
Shaping solutions
Dr Yasmin Lucero Cobos, deputy head of strategy at HZB, emphasised the need for equitable innovation through cooperation. She also explained that they are aiming to build scientific capacity, strengthen partnerships and contribute to a new ecosystem where, together with African scientists and entrepreneurs, they can shape climate solutions from the ground up.
“Scientific collaboration is the foundation of climate solutions. Facilities like ours can serve as accelerators of innovation, offering advanced infrastructure and expertise. But it must be demand-driven. We need to listen to Kenyan researchers, align agendas, and build lasting partnerships,” Yasmin noted, adding that HZB is focused on translating advanced materials research into market-ready green technologies through close engagement with industry.
Panellist Juliet Oluoch, a business development associate at Octavia Carbon, spoke about the pioneering direct air capture (DAC) technology her company is developing in Kenya, which they are using to address the local innovation gaps. She showcased specialised materials used to capture carbon dioxide from the air, including monoliths and silica powders.
Oluoch highlighted infrastructure gaps as a key barrier, emphasising on the need for more research collaboration and scientists coming out to actually try and understand dark technology in Kenya, and then make that data available for innovators.
“We don’t have critical equipment like bed surface analysers in Kenya.
That means we have to ship materials abroad to India, South Africa, or the U.S. just to validate our research,” she added, highlighting the need for partnerships that enable research tailored to African contexts.
During the event, Nancy Ochiba, a researcher at the Technical University of Kenya, explained about the everyday struggles Kenyan scientists face, from underfunding and mentorship gaps to limited access to academic journals.
“Many researchers spend a decade finishing a two-year programme because of a lack of basic funding. Sometimes I’ve had to send money to friends abroad to access a single research article,” she said.
Ochiba also stressed the disconnect between academic research and local industry. Despite working on closely related science showing the gap between industries and academia she admitted that she hadn’t heard of Octavia Carbon until the day’s event.
“If we align industry needs with academic research, we’ll not only drive innovation but also open real opportunities for collaboration and employment,” she added.
Ochiba also called for paid internships, targeted mentorship programmes and global exposure through scientific exchange to help young Kenyan scientists thrive.
Responding to concerns about Kenya’s best minds leaving the country, Ambassador Groth clarified that Germany’s 2023 labour mobility agreement with Kenya is aimed primarily at mid-level skilled workers such as nurses, hospitality staff and mechanics, not scientists.
“We’re not looking to lure Kenya’s top researchers. Rather, we want to build university partnerships. More than 18,000 Kenyan students have already benefited from German scholarships, and we’re keen to expand that,” he said.
Germany’s academic exchange body, DAAD, has been present in Kenya for 50 years and continues to support thousands of Kenyan scholars.
The Climate Talks were part of the NEPHEWS Workshop, an initiative by HZB to bridge the global gap in scientific infrastructure. The event’s theme emphasised that while talent exists everywhere, access to cutting-edge research tools remains heavily skewed in favour of wealthy nations.
The workshop brought together innovators, scientists, students, and business leaders to explore how stronger ties between research and enterprise could help address shared global challenges from climate change to biodiversity loss.
“The animated conversations today from panellists to the public prove that there is tremendous potential in Kenyan science and innovation. Our role is to support, connect, and co-create a sustainable future,” said Ambassador Groth.