Backed by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT), EIT Manufacturing brings together European manufacturing stakeholders—industry players, universities, research partners—to foster innovation ecosystems that add unique value to products, processes, and services. Their mission: to inspire the creation of a globally competitive and sustainable manufacturing sector.
We interviewed 👇
Nina Näsman
Community & Platforms Manager, AGORA social network
What key criteria did Whaller meet when choosing a platform?
When I joined the team in 2020, during the COVID‑19 lockdown, our goal was to bring together industry stakeholders, universities, research partners and the Whaller community online to collaborate and network effectively.
We began by seeking a white-label platform that was both designed and hosted in Europe. This aligned with our regional focus. Paramount to us were data security and GDPR compliance – essential not just in principle, but in building trust among industry experts. Whaller addressed these concerns thoroughly and continues to enhance its offering.
Secondly, we needed diverse functionality for both users and administrators. The gamification features and the revamped, user-friendly interface particularly stood out to us.
Thirdly, we wanted flexibility and technical capability to develop custom solutions as our needs evolved. Whaller delivered on that promise.
How do you currently use Whaller?
AGORA has now been running for just over two years. We have more than 2,500 members – experts, professionals and students from across Europe’s manufacturing industry.
A key feature for us is the membership request process. It enables administrators to review and approve each application, ensuring that Whaller remains a relevant and targeted community for European manufacturing professionals.
The sphere system serves as a central hub, allowing us to create thematic communities where members collaborate, share ideas and inspire each other.
Events play a crucial role in fostering engagement. Integrated BigBlueButton video conferencing allows us to host webinars, collect RSVPs, and involve attendees via chats, polls, breakout rooms and more throughout events.
We also rely on external invitation links to grow our community, enabling guests to join meetings before applying to access the full platform and broader community.
How did implementation go and what projects were launched?
Before launching AGORA, we worked closely with Whaller to refine the membership process and add key features. For example, the whitelist of trusted email domains allows partners to join AGORA without delays.
We found that Whaller’s existing tools and features more than met our needs. We also commissioned custom developments to better manage members. Now, we track each member’s registration date and last login, helping us welcome newcomers and re-engage inactive participants.
Last year, we partnered with Whaller to develop a white-label mobile app for iOS and Android, tailored specifically for AGORA. Ensuring mobile access to events was crucial. The app also supports in-app video conferencing, completing the experience.
What are the next challenges for the platform?
As AGORA grows, we want to make it easier for members to connect. Today, we’re working with Whaller to develop intelligent matching features that help users discover relevant people, content and resources on the platform, based on their interests, and autonomously.
Managing and engaging a community is both an art and a challenge. Whaller’s technical support and improvements help us stay focused on creating the content and interactions needed for a vibrant professional community.
Why would you recommend Whaller?
What I appreciate most about Whaller is its human-scale approach. The team is accessible and responsive to our questions, technical issues and requests for improvements.
We value Whaller’s collaborative approach to development, and it’s great to benefit from both their investment and the contributions of other clients to the platform.
In the two years since we launched AGORA, we’ve seen significant improvements – improvements that grow stronger over time.
Find more customer testimonials on our YouTube channel.
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