OUDTSHOORN NEWS - Douglas Eriksen, CEO of Cango Wildlife, put Oudtshoorn on the map by earning international recognition for Project ZOA (Zoological Open Architecture) at the World Economic Forum 2026 in Switzerland.
Project ZOA was awarded the Start-up Innovation Award for Top AI Sustainability Project during Davos Innovation Week, one of the world's most influential global gatherings.
Founded in the Garden Route and presented on the world stage by Eriksen himself, the project highlights how conservation-driven innovation from a small South African town can influence global thinking.
Project ZOA addresses a growing global concern linked to the rapid rise of artificial intelligence.
He explains: "As AI systems increasingly shape decisions about land use, infrastructure, finance and development, many operate without a proper understanding of biodiversity and ecosystems. When ecological data is missing or unreliable, environmental consequences are easily overlooked or misunderstood."
Eriksen says the project emerged from the realisation that conservation efforts are not fully prepared for the coming machine age.
While global conservation traditionally focuses on threats such as climate change, habitat loss and poaching, little attention has been given to how artificial intelligence will shape future environmental decision-making.
With a professional background in fringe technology and innovation management, Eriksen recognised a widening gap between advancing AI capabilities and the integrity of biodiversity data. Planning systems, risk models and AI tools were already making decisions about land, climate and natural resources without truly understanding the natural world. Project ZOA was created to close that gap.
At the heart of the initiative is the Ecological Intelligence Dataset (EID). In simple terms, the dataset transforms real, verified observations of wildlife and ecosystems into structured information that AI systems can accurately read, compare and use. This ensures that artificial intelligence works with ecological reality rather than assumptions or incomplete data.
Cango Wildlife provides the project's real-world foundation. All data is grounded in ethically and scientifically collected biological observations, including animal health, behaviour and environmental conditions. Oudtshoorn serves as the testing ground.
Interest from policymakers and technology investors was strong, with policymakers recognising its value for sustainable planning and investors acknowledging the risks of AI systems operating without ecological intelligence. The discussions highlighted the urgent need for stronger safety frameworks and the role conservation can play in guiding responsible AI development.
Receiving the award, Eriksen said the recognition was deeply humbling.
"Professionally, it was powerful validation. To stand on a global stage and have work that started in a small South African town recognised at Davos confirms that world-class innovation doesn't only come from traditional tech hubs. It can come from conservation, from the Global South, and from places where people are close to the land. "
He said the next phase of the project will focus on responsible growth, including expanding data collection, strengthening international partnerships and integrating the Ecological Intelligence Dataset into global AI, planning and sustainability systems.
Looking ahead, Eriksen believes artificial intelligence can become a powerful ally to conservation by supporting better policy decisions, predicting ecosystem stress and enabling faster responses to environmental change. Eriksen feels that this is only possible if AI systems are built on true ecological intelligence.
Project ZOA's message remains clear: if artificial intelligence is going to shape the future, it must first learn to understand nature, not through assumptions, but through verified truth.
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