Entrepreneurs urged to collaborate with research institutions for groundbreaking innovations

Entrepreneurs in the country have been urged to collaborate with research institutions to develop groundbreaking innovations for the growth of the business industry.

They have also been advised to leverage technology to scale up their business ventures.

Kwamena Quaison, Director, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) gave the advice at the opening of the Matchmaking and Information Sharing Workshop in Koforidua.

The workshop forms part of a special initiative of the Ghana Jobs and Skills Project with the aim of providing a platform for Research Institutions and Entrepreneurs to co-create new industries or scale existing ones.

Speaking on behalf of Madam Ophelia Mensah Hayford, Minister of MESTI, he said Technology Transfer and commercialisation of Research had been a major policy concern for the government of Ghana.

He said successive Ministers for the Innovation Ministry had placed Technology Transfer at the top of their agenda because of its connection to other ministries like Trade and Industry, Communication and Digitalisation, Food and Agriculture, Health and most importantly entrepreneurs.

Mr Quaison said the sector Minister had tasked the Science, Technology and Innovation Directorate of the Ministry to find an innovative solution to the weak research – industry collaboration and ensure that research outputs from research institutions were made available to entrepreneurs to create the needed jobs to support economic growth.

He acknowledged the significant roles played by universities and research institutes all over the world in the creation of new businesses, adding that the Ministry wanted to accelerate that culture in Ghana.

Mr Quaison lauded the research collaborations between the Kasapreko and the Centre for Plant Medicine and that of Despite Group of Companies’ with the Food Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

“Today, the alomo bitters of Kasapreko and Neat fufu of Despite have created lots of jobs and supported economic growth of the Ghanaian economy. It is our hope that more Kasaprekos and Despites will emerge from this matchmaking,” he said.

He said the session was the beginning of a road map to an “Innovation Voucher Programme” where government would provide Innovation Vouchers to Entrepreneurs to access technologies at universities and research institutions.

The Director said the matchmaking would be followed by disbursements of grants to any Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises or Start-up that identified any technology or extension services to the tune or equivalent of USD5000.00 or more depending on the market viability analysis of the Project.

He thanked the World Bank, the Ministry of Finance and the CTVET for making the project possible.

“I believe you will all make us proud by creating the jobs that the Ghana Jobs and Skills Project seeks to create. I urge you to all participate and contribute to improving our technology and innovation success stories in Ghana,” he added.