In an era driven by innovation and connectivity, the Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as a revolutionary technology with the power to transform various industries. On May 3, 4, and 6, 2023, Foundry Camp organized an interactive 3-day IoT Bootcamp under the HUBquitous Project. This immersive bootcamp was designed to empower participants with the knowledge, skills, and hands-on experience necessary to thrive in the IoT landscape. It brought together IoT enthusiasts, professionals, and students interested in driving technological advancements.

The HUBiquitous Project is an initiative by the European Union that is aimed at creating a standard African-European startup and innovation ecosystem for long-term collaboration and partnerships. The objective is to support the IoT capacity building of local DIHs and tech hubs in Africa; hence, the project engages hubs that would like to be part of a vibrant ecosystem, working together as IoT, Big Data, and AI enthusiasts to build innovative and cutting-edge technology solutions to solve issues facing the African continent.

The project hopes to achieve this through four (4) key ways: the Train-the-Trainer Program, the Talent Program, Accelerator Program, and MeetHub Platform. The Talent Program provides training in the areas of IoT, Big Data, and ML/AI to individuals who are interested, including beginners and experts alike. The training material for this program was developed by HUBiquitous, but the project engages hubs to facilitate the activities of the program, such as getting participants, organizing bootcamps and hands-on sessions, and providing support to learners during and after the program. The specific objectives of the program are to: - Improve the technical skills of local African communities. - Enhance the employability skills of the youth. - Foster IoT Innovations to combat real-life problems. - Develop Training and Innovation structures for Sustainable Replication in the African Ecosystem (You can read more about this and more on the Hubiquitous Website).

The project engages hubs from across Africa, including Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania. Foundry Camp was one of two hubs engaged in Phase 2 of the Talent Program in Ghana. This article details the events of the 3-day bootcamp that we organized as part of this engagement.

Each day of the bootcamp started with an engaging ice-breaking activity. This allowed participants to become acquainted with each other and establish a positive and interactive atmosphere. We would then follow the icebreaker with an informative session, providing participants with a comprehensive overview of the bootcamp agenda. On the first day of the bootcamp, we introduced the fundamental concepts of IoT, basic electronics, and the design thinking process. Through interactive sessions and engaging presentations, facilitators shared insights into the latest trends, emerging technologies, and real-world use cases. Participants also had the opportunity to explore various IoT platforms and development tools, setting the foundation for the days ahead. This was necessary as most participants were still very new to the world of IoT. Through this, they gained a profound understanding of the IoT architecture, protocols, and connectivity options, as well as how IoT technologies can be harnessed to address sustainability challenges facing the country and continent. Day two of the bootcamp focused on participants building on the knowledge acquired from the previous day, with participants being exposed to the working principles of a variety of sensors. In addition, participants explored the capabilities and architecture of the Waziup technologies, including the WaziDev board, the WaziGate (which is obtained by connecting a Raspberry Pi and a WaziHat), and the WaziCloud platform. They learned to connect the sensors to the Waziup platform, enabling the display of real-time data. Participants were also taken through case studies to practice their design thinking skills and knowledge in electronics and loT. This practical exercise allowed them to better appreciate the integration of IoT hardware and software components. They gained experience in sensor selection, data acquisition, and device communication.

Participants were tested on all they had learned throughout the bootcamp on the last day. They were put into groups and given a case study to work on. Their task was to come up with an IoT solution using the design thinking process. They had to determine the right components needed for their respective case studies, connect them correctly, and write the code to transmit the data to the cloud. The day culminated in a project showcase and presentation by the participants, highlighting the environmental impact and proposed business models for their projects. The facilitators were very impressed with the presentations by the participants as they demonstrated significant growth.

Overall, the HUBiquitous Talent Program bootcamp organised by Foundry Camp was fun and informative. Participants left with newfound knowledge, practical skills, and a deeper appreciation of IoT and its potential to solve the problems facing the country and continent at large. The bootcamp also shed light on the importance of data security, privacy, and ethical considerations when dealing with IoT data.

We would like to thank the HUBiquitous Team, the EU, and all of our participants for making this bootcamp a success. We look forward to having more of these in the future!