Digital Hub for a Global Organisation

Project background

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organisation that supports countries in their transition toward a sustainable energy future. It serves as a key platform for international cooperation and a global knowledge hub on renewable energy technologies, policies, and financing.

As an observer of the United Nations, IRENA promotes the worldwide adoption of all forms of renewable energy – from wind and solar to bioenergy and ocean power. Its mission is to foster sustainable development, ensure energy security, and accelerate the shift toward a low-carbon economy.

Solution

For IRENA, we implemented Sitecore Experience Platform 10.1.2, enabling advanced personalisation capabilities. This allowed the website to tailor content to different audience segments – from policy makers and industry experts to users looking for specific publications. The solution was built on Helix architecture, ensuring easier long-term development and maintenance.

Intuitive UX and rich functionality
The new website was designed based on stakeholder workshops and a detailed analysis of previous challenges. We focused on creating a clean, sustainable design language with fluid microinteractions that make the experience dynamic and engaging.

• personalised content recommendations based on interaction history
• a personal “content locker” for saving materials of interest
• tools for intuitive browsing of IRENA’s extensive library of reports and publications

Migration and integrations
One of the main challenges was migrating large and diverse content resources from the old website. To speed up this process, we developed several dedicated importers that automated data transfer – significantly simplifying migration and minimising the risk of errors. The new site was also integrated with an external recruitment portal.

Scalable cloud and ongoing maintenance
The platform was deployed in Sitecore Managed Cloud, running on Microsoft Azure, providing:

• Easy environment scalability
• Continuous monitoring and proactive maintenance support
• Faster content delivery via a global Content Delivery Network (CDN)

A unified IRENA web ecosystem
Based on the new design, we created UX templates and guidelines that can be reused across other IRENA websites. This enabled the organisation to maintain consistent visual communication and more efficient content management across its digital ecosystem.

With this implementation, IRENA gained a modern, scalable digital platform that supports its mission and strengthens its position as a global authority on renewable energy.