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Technology Demonstration Centers are places where different technologies are demonstrated, where R&D can take place, and where people can go to receive training in the production or use of particular technologies. The objective is to spread knowledge on low-cost water and sanitation options, with a focus on hands-on demonstrations.
Technology Demonstration Centers are a very effective way of spreading knowledge on low-cost options in a given region. Because a technology always needs to be adapted to the local circumstances, preferences, materials and skills, in the ideal case each region should have a Technology Demonstration Center. There are not very many Technology Demonstration Centers around the world, and the spread of low-cost technology could receive a significant boost if more would come into being.
===ACREST, Cameroon===[[Image:acrest building.jpg|thumb|right|200 px|ACREST is a centre for information, demonstration, awareness, production and research on renewable energy and sustainable technologies in Africa. Photo: [http://www.acrest.org/index.php ACREST.]]]
African Centre for Renewable Energy & Sustainable Technology.
ACREST is a centre for information, demonstration, awareness, production and research on renewable energy and sustainable technologies in Africa.
Developed countries started their industrialization process by using renewable energies (wind energy, water power, animal power, solar energy, etc.) and applying appropriate techniques and technologies that were manufactured with local resources and not costly imported ones. All equipments were equipment was locally made. Renewable energies are the energy for the future of Africa: there do not pollute the environment, there do not exhort and are decentralized for their nature. Our philosophy: "I hear and I forget,I see and I remember,I do and I understand."
[http://www.acrest.org/produits/ Technologies]
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[http://www.acrest.org/ Website ACREST]
===AIDFI Techno Park, Philippines===
[[Image:View of park.jpg|thumb|right|200px|View of Techno park. Photo: [https://www.facebook.com/AIDFI AIDFI.]]]
AIDFI or Alternative Indeginous Development Foundation Inc. was founded in the Philippines in the 1990s. Since then it has been developing technologies to aid agricultural production and take care of people’s basic needs such as water and sanitation in a cheap and renewable manner. They believe these technologies are key to solving poverty and hunger problems in rural communities.
The Technopark was set up to allow locals to make use of the knowledge, skills and resources showcased there. These can be optimised for the devlopment of locally designed, locally produced alternative technologies for the agricultural and manufacturing industry.
AIDFI also believes that technologies alone are not a sustainable method of development. They also train development workers, who assist villages in developing self-reliance and managing development projects to ensure sustainability.
The AIDFI Techno Park is situated on the island Negros, in the Philippines.
[http://www.aidfi.org/ Website AIDFI]
[[AIDFI Techno Park|http://akvopedia.org/wiki/AIDFI_Techno_Park Akvopedia article on AIDFI Technopark]]
===APROTEC, Colombia===[[Image:solar heater.jpg|thumb|right|200px|solar water heater]]APROTEC is a company, which develops technologies and systems for the use of renewable energy. They focus on the efficient use of energy and respect for the environment of technologies in social development projects. They were founded in 1990 and are based in Columbia. Aprotec deals with several aspects in the field of renewable energy technologies, from the promotion and commercialisation to the development and production of these.
APROTEC is a companyperforms feasibility studies, which develops technologies field analysis and evaluation of available natural resources and their possible uses, in particular in the area of supplying electricity to rural, isolated communities. It designs, sells and installs complete systems for the use of renewable alternative energy. They focus on the efficient use of energy also work as consultants to other NGOs, public and respect private organisations for the environment adaptation of technologies in social development projects. Aprotec deals with several aspects in the field of renewable energy technologies, from the promotion and commercialisation to the development and production of these.
[[http://akvopedia.org/wiki/Aprotec|Akvopedia article on Aprotec Columbia]]
===Artefact===[[Image:artefact.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Advanced training for a group of electrical engineering. Photo: [http://www.artefact.de/img/entwicklungszusammenarbeit-mozambik-04.jpg Artefact]]]Artefact is a non-profit organization in Germany dedicated to applying and disseminating sustainable technologies. They focus mainly on using wind, solar and biomass for energy, water-resource saving techniques and sewage treatment. They maintain several plants, where technologies are developed, tested, and demonstrated to the public. Over 10 000 visitors come each year to see among other things the biogas plants, nubian vaults, fire wood firewood saving cookers, irrigation and electrification systems for different climatic conditions operated here. Artefact also organizes excursions and events for their visitors.Besides this, the centre can be used for training workshops, seminars and conferences related to sustainable development. The centre won the 1998 European Solar Prize.
[http://www.artefact.de/e/artefact/index.htm Website Artefact]
===CART, South Africa===[[Image:Permaculture garden.jpg|thumb|right|200px|One of the gardens]]The Centre for Appropriate Rural Technology (CART ) is a life skills centre in the rural village of Sicambeni in the Eastern Cape of South Africa| . It was developed by South African Volunteers and is managed by the local community. Its aim is to provide a fully self sustainable model for the approximately hundred households in the surrounding village to follow. Ultimately this will become a self sustainable village, to serve as a model for other nearby villages. The Eastern Cape is one of the poorest regions of South Africa. Because of the poverty here, people often migrate to Townships on the edge of larger cities in the hope of finding jobs. Here they are often homeless, as these townships are overcrowded. For 15 years, South African Volunteers and others worked with these migrants to build homes and communities in the townships. Now a different approach is taken to irradicate poverty in the Eastern Cape. By making the villages self-sustainable, workers do not even need to migrate to townships. [http://akvopedia.org/wiki/CART_South_Africa Akvopedia article on the Centre for Appropriate Rural Technology in South Africa] ===CAT Wales===[[Image:hydroturbine.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Hydroturbine at the water management display]]This Centre for Alternative Technology aims to show people how to live in a sustainable manner, in rural as well as in fully developed, urban areas. The centre focuses on renewable energy, environmental building, energy efficiency, organic growing and alternative sewage systems. The centre has a range of interactive displays and other exhibits of sustainable technologies in these fields. CAT is used for day visits by individuals or groups such as schools. They also run educational programmes ranging from one week upto a year long for people who want to learn more about sustainable development and other topics. They also publish books on these topics for example recently published: “Choosing Solar Electricity: a guide to photovoltaic systems” [http://akvopedia.org/wiki/CAT_Wales Akvopedia article on the Centre for Alternative Technology South Africa] ===CAT, Cameroon===[[Image:CAT cameroon.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Technology Exhibition at CAT Cameroon]] CAT (Centre for Appropriate Technology) Cameroon is an organization whose mission is to eradicate poverty and improve the quality of the environment in Cameroon through the development and use of appropriate technology. They are currently focusing on a Rural Electrification programme, for which local natural resources can be used to provide electricity for rural communities. Among other things they work by developing and demonstrating appropriate technologies adapted to the local environment. They also set up and fund local organizations to manage development projects in specific communities. Further they try to educating local people and organizations on the types, uses and benefits of certain electric and nonelectric sustainable devices, for example through workshops and exhibitions. These target local technicians, schools, women's groups, hospitals, water supply authorities and others.
==CAT Wales== [[CAT Wales| http://akvopedia.org/wiki/CAT_Cameroon Akvopedia article on the Centre for Alternative Technology South Africa]in Cameroon]
==CAT, Cameroon=CST India===[[CAT CameroonImage:CST India.png|thumb|right| Akvopedia article on the Centre for Alternative Technology 200px|Photo: [http://www.astra.iisc.ernet.in Cameroon/ CST India]]]
==The Centre for Sustainable Technologies (CST India==) established as Centre for ASTRA (Application of Science and Technology for Rural Areas) in 1974, is IISc’s inter-disciplinary research and technology development centre for providing sustainable solutions to host of global concerns, primarily dealing with energy, buildings and environment. The Centre’s focus is on promoting Sustainable Technologies tailored to suit local conditions of resource availability and habitation.
CSTSuccessful examples of CST’s diverse interventions are, Energy Efficient Wood Burning Devices, Biomethanation, Biomass Gasification, Alternative Building Technologies, the centre of sustainable technologies aims to develop Green Buildings and BiPV, Water Purification and promote sustainable technology adapted to the local conditions in India. They focus on renewable energyDefluoridation, alternative construction methodsSanitation, and environment protection. Since they were set upSustainable Biomass for Energy, 30 years agoForestry, 1.5 million people across India are cooking food using their wood burning devices. They also built thousands of houses using alternative materialsBioenergy & Climate Change, including 5000 in earthquake affected areas of Gujarat. Their tsunamiand Environmental Quality Assurance-resistant sanitation systems were also very effective around IndiaImpact Studies.
[http://www.astra.iisc.ernet.in/ website Website CST india] ===EMAS, Bolivia===[[Image:emas photo.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Photo: [http://www.emas-international.de/ EMAS International]]]
==EMAS, Bolivia==
EMAS, or "Escuela Movil Aguas Y Saneamiento Basico" (Mobile school for drinking water and sanitation) was founded by Wolfgang Buchner to address the drinking water problem. EMAS has a strong focus on "assistance to self-help" and has designed a number of technologies that can be built from local materials in order to involve the communities in the development, including: [http://test.akvo.org/wiki/index.php/EMAS_well_drilling EMAS well drilling], the [http://test.akvo.org/wiki/index.php/EMAS_pump EMAS pump], the [http://test.akvo.org/wiki/index.php/Jetting_-_EMAS_method EMAS jetting method].
EMAS runs a training center in Porto Perez, situated at the Titicaca lake in Bolivia, around an hour drive from the Capital La Paz.
[http://www.emas-international.de/english/index_e.htm Website EMAS]
[[http://www.emas-international.de/ Website EMAS|Akvopedia article on EMAS]]
[http://akvopedia.org/wiki/EMAS Akvopedia article on EMAS] ===SHIPO, Tanzania===[[Image:shipo.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The NGO SHIPO (center. Photo: [http://www.shipo-tz.org/ SHIPO]]]The Southern Highlands Participatory OrganizationOrganisation (SHIPO) runs is a Technology Demonstration Center Tanzanian Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) based in Njombe, located in Southern Tanzania. They focus on low SHIPO’s aim is to facilitate organized groups (e.g. communities, women groups) with the successful implementation of self-help projects that contribute to the improvement of their living standards and the alleviation of poverty. SHIPO facilitates people in rural villages and Community Based Organisations (CBO) to plan and execute small-cost water technology such as rope pumps, manual well drillingscale, self-help projects in the districts of Njombe and drip irrigationLudewa. <br>
[http://www.shipo-tz.org/ Website SHIPO]
===Vismaya Infotainment Centre===
[[Image:Vismaya reservoir.jpg|thumb|right|200px| A Vismaya reservoir used to store harvested rainwater]]
Vismaya Water Theme and Amusement Park is a unit of Malabar Pleasures (India) Pvt Ltd, promoted by Malabar Tourism Development Cooperative Ltd with registered office at Parassinikadavu, Kannur, Kerala. Vismaya Water Theme Park is the one and only water theme park in India promoted by a Co-operative Society. Vismaya has incorporated state of art technology providing enjoyable moments for entire family and is uniquely blessed with amazing beautiful location - A visual treat for all guests who visit Vis~aya. Carefully chosen special rides provides excitement and pleasure to all ranging from kids to teen, youth to couples, and adult to seniors. Vismaya is well managed under the effective stewardship of Chairman Mr.Vadi Ravindran and General Manager Mr. P.P Chandran supported by a team of dynamic board of directors.
[http://www.vismayakerala.com website Website Vismaya]
===WSA (formerly known as African Regional Centre for Water and Sanitation or CREPA)===NOTE: THIS CENTER IS CURRENTLY UNTRACEABLE ONLINE. [[Image:WSA tech dem center.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The WSA technology demonstration site at the Head Office in Ouagadougou continues to serve as a learning centre for many water and sanitation professionals and students in Burkina Faso. Photo: [http://www.wsafrica.org/welcome/news-articles/technology-demonstration-site-attracts-more-visitors.aspx WSA]unavailable source]]
They complement the efforts of the AU, AMCOW, NEPAD and other regional institutions, which provide political leadership and policy direction, by providing technical leadership in evidence-based policy advice, innovative and sustainable approaches, and advocacy services in the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene services in Africa.
A recent learning visit to the site was by some 28 students from the School of Water and Forest Resources (ENEF) in Burkina Faso on Wednesday 27th June. ENEF trains environment-oriented professionals on various scientific, technical, legal and economic modules in environmental protection.
[http://www.wsafrica.org/welcome/news-articles/technology-demonstration-site-attracts-more-visitors.aspx Technology Demonstration site attracts more visitors, 13 July 2012.] Home page: [http://www.wsafrica.org/welcome.aspx WSA] ===Others===
If you are aware of other Technology Demonstration Centers, please add them, or let us know!