Smart Villages Research Group

Smart Villages is an organisation that believes people in remote villages in the Global South deserve the same opportunities as everyone else. Before its establishment as a registered entity in 2017, the Smart Villages Initiative based in Oxford and Cambridge (UK) worked for over 7 years in six regions across the world. Following that grass-roots research work, it developed the Smart Villages model for community development, and in partnership with local NGOs in the Global South it has piloted its approach and innovated new technologies and business models. Since 2017 it has innovated and tested multiple sustainable technology solutions that combine with community-focussed business models.

Before the establishment of Smart Villages as a registered entity in 2017, the Smart Villages Initiative based in Oxford and Cambridge (UK) worked for over 7 years in six regions across the world to bring together the diverse set of players, generating new insights into energy access opportunities and barriers, new technologies, and why so many development projects fail. Following 7 years of grass-roots research work, the organisation developed the Smart Villages model for community development. In partnership with local NGOs in the Global South, it has worked with rural communities to pilot its approach, innovate new technologies and business models, and demonstrate the difference that a community-centric model can achieve. Since 2017, it has innovated and tested multiple sustainable technology solutions which uniquely combine with community-focussed business models to achieve lasting impact.

Community-led, community-first approach to rural development in the Global South, combining sustainable technology solutions with community-focussed business models.

• Community Energy Systems

  Stand-alone off-grid clean electricity systems for communities of any size – from 5kW to >100kW.

• Water Access Technologies

  Renewable solutions replacing dirty and unreliable fossil-fuel powered water pumps, with sustainable business models and control/monitoring technologies.

• Smart Agri-Centres

  Award-winning economically and socially transformative hubs for rural farming communities that include minigrid-scale energy access, cold storage, agri-processing and value-addition technologies.

• Community Engagement

  Proven tools and methodologies to engage with local communities to support product development, testing and roll-out.

• Control & Data

  Ability to remotely control and monitor systems or collect operating data.

1. 1Home | Smart Villagese4sv.org
2. 2Our Team | Smart Villagese4sv.org
3. 3Products and Solutions | Smart Villagese4sv.org
4. 4Smart Villages Model | Smart Villagese4sv.org
5. 5Wikidata Q132472565wikidata.org