Deepspace is emerging as Africa’s maker movement as a result of a project by Oluremi Oluwalogbon Odunsi through subsidiaries of Eridan group. For years now, a number of engineers, university professors and business persons have been developing a narrative that is increasingly being told within Africa regarding deepspaces that foster hardware development. They are telling it in terms of hard work rather than glamor and buzzwords.
This is not Odunsi’s first time managing huge projects, having been in banking, insurance, real estate and FMCG companies. However, this time around, she is building something different. Deepspace is a network platform that will afford makers affordable access to manufacturing equipment, mentoring and a culture that crosses boundaries. This is because makers can only be helped when ideas go from their heads to tangible prototypes which must withstand market competition.
The physical space is no longer seen as merely a showcase but more of a laboratory environment that helps in developing innovation ecosystems. The facility has prototyping tools, digital fabrication tools, and communal spaces that help students, engineers, designers, and makers in testing, iterating, and learning from one another. The facility acts as a pragmatic solution to a challenge that many makers in Africa have faced, which includes expensive machinery and a lack of knowledge that may impede progress in an idea that is only on paper. Odunsi explains that the Deepspace acts as a catalyst for turning ideas into viable products. She explains her experiences and lessons learned about governance, project management, and scalability after decades of leadership.
The observers of the maker movement understand the possible impacts of a denser network of makers. Such a scenario might lead to faster problem-solving, from the production of affordable medical devices to agriculture technology solutions in different environments. Facilities and training programs will cut down the amount of time and money spent to turn a concept into a prototype.
Another part of the texture of the project lies in its collaborative backbone. Odunsi has pointed out the necessity of collaborating with universities, industrial actors, and policymakers as fundamental structural supports. A collaborative effort is crucial because, in addition to being a product of intelligent engineering, hardware development relies on financial, logistical, and regulatory support. If Deepspace is able to continue moving forward in these respects, then the consequence will be that much more durable and rooted innovation ecosystem.
The effort is seen by some to be important in terms of Africa’s overall trajectory of development. A maker-friendly environment may produce goods that suit regional needs, ranging from energy-saving devices to agricultural equipment, health technology, and consumer hardware. What seems clear about Odunsi’s approach is that he wants to use education, capital, and community as means to make regional development ambitions a reality.
Finally, there is mention of ethics and inclusion in discussions of the importance of the Deepspace project. The emphasis on accessibility in terms of both financial and educational resources has a potential socioeconomic implication for upward mobility and professional development.
With the evolution of the project, the questions come into sharper focus: Can Deepspace maintain partnerships, secure investments, and produce commercially viable devices? Can the expansion of the network of makers result in job creation and production capabilities throughout various African hubs? If current developments are an indication, the Deepspace project is not only a physical facility; rather, it is a socio-technical experiment that could change Africa’s view of innovation entirely.
While the story of Deepspace continues to unfold, there are certain aspects that become more apparent every day: an infrastructure-supported journey towards innovation driven by a person with years of experience in organizing elaborate ventures, who now seeks to use that experience in Africa’s maker community. What Odunsi envisions, in essence, is the marriage of infrastructure and innovation, where Africa’s makers would eventually be able to support themselves.
