KTU inaugurates incubation hub for students - It’ll empower students with research, entrepreneurship skills
An incubation hub aimed at empowering students with creativity, research and entrepreneurship skills has been launched at the Koforidua Technical University (KTU) in the Eastern Region.
The facility, which would also serve as a hub for practical problem-solving techniques, would prepare students to set up their own businesses after school.
At a ceremony to officially open the new incubation hub at KTU last Friday, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor John Owusu, said entrepreneurship and business incubation hubs had become critical drivers for national development across the world.
The event brought together management and staff of the university, faculty members, industry partners, innovators, representatives from the Kosmos Innovation Centre (KIC), the German technical cooperation office in the Eastern Region, Ghana Hubs Network, members of the Association of Ghana Start-Ups and students of KTU.
He stated that KTU’s mandate to teach, conduct applied research and transfer of technology was a major actor in the entrepreneurship space and, therefore, the university upholds skills and business development.
To advance such an objective, Prof. Owusu said the university had earlier established the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Development (CEID) in 2017 to advance the activities of the centre.
Dream centre
The inauguration of such a dream centre, the Vice-Chancellor indicated, was a strategic innovation aimed at empowering students with creativity, research, entrepreneurship skills and practical problem-solving techniques.
"We are grateful to our partners for collaborating with us to achieve yet another milestone in our history as a technical university,” Prof. Owusu said and urged staff and students to take advantage of the hub to turn ideas into meaningful ventures.
He also appealed to stakeholders, collaborators, businesses, institutions and the government to support the venture through grants, partnerships and the provision of additional equipment for expansion to accommodate more students.
Prof. Owusu commended the KIC and the Directorate of Research and Innovation for spearheading the incubation hub.
Sustainable development
For his part, the Director of Research and Innovation of the KTU, Prof. Samuel Kwofie, said the incubation hub was an important step in promoting sustainable development, entrepreneurship and innovation at the university and the community.
He stated that the hub was more than a physical space; it was a dynamic platform where ideas would be nurtured, creativity encouraged, and innovation transformed into practical solutions through mentorship.
Mentorship
The hub, Prof. Kwofie stated, would further serve as a bridge between academia and industry, encouraging practical applications of research, supporting startups and promoting a culture of creativity and problem solving through access to resources, training and professional networks.
"It’s our commitment to empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators.
"This hub is a state-of-the-art facility designed to foster innovation, entrepreneurship and research-driven solutions where students, faculty and young entrepreneurs can develop their ideas, access mentorship, and transform concepts into viable products and businesses", Prof. Kwofie told the gathering.
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