This week (31 May - 1 April), the University of Malawi in Zomba became a vibrant centre of innovation and collaboration. It hosted a transformative Tiny Machine Learning (TinyML) workshop organised by the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP). TinyML refers to running machine learning models directly on edge devices, such as smartwatches,without relying on cloud computing.

Florence Mwalwanda and Stephano Mabziness Patrick represented the Centre for Resilience Agri-Food Systems (CRAFS), one of the event’s main sponsors. The workshop was crucial for CRAFS,as it provided a strategic opportunity to envision how TinyML can transform agriculture and food systems in Malawi and beyond. By supporting the initiative and participating directly,CRAFS reaffirmed its commitment to exploring how cutting-edge technologies like edge AI can create meaningful change in farming communities.

The week-long workshop gathered researchers, developers, students, and innovators from Malawi and around the world. Through a dynamic mix of in-depth lectures, practical lab sessions, and collaborative group projects, participants delved into the exciting field of Tinyml.This rapidly growing area enables artificial intelligence to operate on low-power, batteryoperated devices.During the week, the CRAFS team learned how TinyML integrates hardware, algorithms, and software to analyze sensor data in real time at the edge, eliminating the need for cloud-based processing. They examined how to deploy machine learning models on microcontrollers andedge devices like the Arduino Nicla Sense ME.

Additionally, they gained insights into data collection and preprocessing from sensors, training and optimizing models for low-energy environments, and applying these models to real-world scenarios in agriculture, healthcare, and environmental monitoring. Participants had the opportunity to interact with global thought leaders in the TinyML field. Experts such as Dr. Marco Zennaro of ICTP, Professor John Shawe-Taylor from IRCAI/UNESCO, Professor David Cuartielles from Arduino, Dr. Joan Pita Costa of IRCAI,Professor Marcelo Ravai from the Federal University of Brazil, Thomas Basikolo from ITU Geneva, and Malawi’s own Professor Chomora Mikeka shared their expertise. Their insights emphasised how technology can drive sustainable development when grounded in local realities and needs.