Esperanza aims to produce a new generation of technologies for use in community development and education. Central to the success of the Esperanza has been the identification and integration of a group of very strong local partners, with existing deep community connections, into the network. A careful, thoughtful approach to building a strong working relationship with our partners has been the most critical first stage in this project. Our collaborators come from not only the academia but also the public and non-governmental sectors and are deeply involved in developing and implementing numerous field studies, new university engineering and entrepreneurship courses, and immersive design workshops with us. They are also carefully documenting their experiences. The dialogue and constant communication amongst the different partners in the Network is vital for its sustainability and success.