From Research to Market: Seratera Universities & partners Empowering Students to Lead Coffee Traceability & Commercialization
Seratera Universities are pioneering the digital transformation of Ethiopia’s coffee sector through student-led innovation. In collaboration with university business incubation centers and Ecopia’s value chain platform, students are trained as Data Logistics Managers to support EUDR (European Union Deforestation Regulation) compliance. This initiative connects academic research to real-world commercialization, enables community outreach with coffee cooperatives and unions (as well as exporters), and empowers startups to scale digitally. By digitizing coffee traceability and bridging universities with producers, Seratera is building a future where research drives impact, students lead transformation, and Ethiopia’s coffee meets global sustainability standards.
Join us to transform compliance into opportunity!
We are launching three online workshops: (1) April 29 for university business incubation centers working on coffee, (2) six weekly sessions in May for Data Logistics Managers, and (3) a stakeholder workshop for Ethiopian coffee actors impacted by the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Join us to transform compliance into opportunity!
Registeration for the workshops
Workshop 1: Business Incubation Centers (April 29)
Discover how incubation centers can harness EUDR to commercialize research, empower multidisciplinary startups, and build impactful community outreach through digital platforms.
Workshop 2: Data Logistics Managers (Starting May 7, every Wednesday)
Train as a certified DLM to support coffee traceability and digital transformation. Build skills to work with cooperatives and establish your startup or become freelance.
Workshop 3: Ethiopian Coffee Stakeholders (June)
Understand EUDR’s impact on exports. Explore solutions through collaboration, data, and university-led innovation to meet EU traceability demands.
Seratera
Seratera is a consortium of seven leading Ethiopian universities, each hosting specialized business incubation centers.
Graduates and students within the consortium have three distinct pathways to create their start-ups:
- Pursuing their own ideas or innovations.
- Creating start-ups within the consortium’s horizontal activities.
- Developing start-ups through collaborations with partner organizations.
Seratera empowers the next generation of entrepreneurs, driving innovation and fostering impactful businesses across Ethiopia and beyond.
Arsi University
Dr. Mitslal Kifleyesus-Matschie and Ecopia, founding members of the Seratera Consortium, will be supporting the Agriculture and Food Department of Arsi University in establishing a business incubation center. During a four-day workshop starting 23 to 27 october 2024, two key incubation ideas will be developed: one focused on Food processing and the other on digitalization of agriculture sector. Students interested in meeting the digitalization team and learning more can express their interest here.
Exciting News: Seratera Consortium to Sign Equity-Based Microfinance Agreement on September 17, 2024
The Seratera consortium, comprising seven leading Ethiopian universities, is set to take a significant step in empowering youth entrepreneurship. On September 17, the consortium will meet to sign an equity-based microfinance agreement, a crucial enabler for students and graduates to launch their start-up companies.
This agreement will provide much-needed financial support, offering young entrepreneurs the resources they need to bring their ideas to life. With this new initiative, Seratera continues to lead the way in fostering innovation and driving sustainable economic growth across Ethiopia.
Exciting Development in Ethiopian Education Sector: State Minister of Education Spearheads Entrepreneurship Initiative
In a groundbreaking move towards fostering entrepreneurship among Ethiopian university graduates, the State Minister of Education, Dr. Kora Tushune Godana, has taken a proactive stance. Dr. Godana, formerly at the helm of the Seratera Incubation Centre in Jimma, has embarked on a mission to support aspiring entrepreneurs in establishing their own businesses.
Start Your Journey with Seratera
Pursue Your Own Ideas or Innovations
Empower Your Vision: If you have a unique idea or innovation, Seratera provides the tools, mentorship, and resources to help you transform your concept into a thriving start-up.
Tailored Support: Access to specialized incubators across seven leading universities, designed to nurture your creativity and entrepreneurial spirit.
Create Start-Ups Within the Consortium’s Horizontal Activities
Collaborative Growth: Join consortium-wide initiatives that offer opportunities to create start-ups within established horizontal activities, leveraging shared resources and expertise.
Synergy and Scale: Benefit from the collective knowledge and infrastructure of the Seratera consortium, enhancing your start-up's potential for success.
Develop Start-Ups Through Collaborations with Partner Organizations
Strategic Partnerships: Work alongside industry leaders and partner organizations to develop start-ups that address real-world challenges and market needs.
Expand Your Network: Gain access to a vast network of partners who provide mentorship, funding, and business opportunities.
About Seratera
Seratera is a Private Public Partnership a consoritum of Seven Universities, Private Sector and Non Government Organisation that facilitate the start-up activities of the universities business incubators. Our Start-up Incubators in each universities are addressing more than 11,000 youth and covering all Ethiopian Biosphere Reserves suppliers.
Our Motivation
Our name reflects our motivation: Sera coming from Serapeum, a hub of learning. Tera coming from Isoptera, one of the 4 major insect groups known for their building ability.
Seratera: sciences and innovation in the services of a better and sustanable future.
Seratera Mission
Our mission is to build an inclusive and innovative community of diverse sector partners including youth, women and graduates, to drive leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship across Ethiopia and beyond.
Seratera Community
We believe that the business incubation centers at the universities are the platforms to create an environment in which everyone can help one another to put their new ideas, special skills and abilities into new businesses. The business incubation centers are the entrepreneurial side of the universities that redirect new knowledge, technology, and innovations for economic development.
Seratera is - above all else - a network of ecosystem, and our excellence comes from our business and financial partners. The initiative is made up of a consortium of key industry players, potential agrifood startups, research centers, and universities from across Ethiopia and beyond.
Seratera Approach
We will achieve our mission by:
1. Supporting the prototypes developed in the technology incubation centres becoming start-ups;
2. Through courses/workshops/symposiums and festivals in the universities we will expose the startups team to run a national and international companies.
3. Developing talents and leaders to transform the Ethiopian todays agriculture based system to innovative to digital based companies and entrepreneurship.
4. Supporting the youth and women graduate startups through our PPP relations to enter the national and international market.
Engaging the national and international festivals and trade markets where the youth startups present their products and services.
Seratera Parnters
The BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt is an independent corporate foundation whose activities contribute to the mission and social responsibility of BMW Group.
Digital Platform consultant. Support individuals, start-ups to established small and medium-sized enterprises with digital transformation and the introduction of e-commerce.
Project manager in digital plaform. They are using TYPO3, an Open Source Enterprise Content Management System with a large global community, backed by the approximately 900 members of the TYPO3 Association.
Toursime in Biospahre reserves and Ecotourism on hotspots.
Our partners for establishing sciences technology museum in our business incubators. Innovation in start-ups requires the access for the youth to sciences and sciences communicated to the public.
Seratera Residence startup
A platform for international and African Diaspora technologies and inventors to seed, to grow and to prosper into key player in African growing global economy.
News
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