The Minister of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST), Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, has said that the government will leverage the local research and production capabilities of institutions to foster innovation and economic growth.
He said the country ranked 101 out of 133 economies in the 2024 Global Innovation Index, highlighting the gap between research and commercialisation.
The minister, however, said that Ghana was ranked among the top 10 countries in Africa in scientific research output, but faced significant challenges in implementing research outputs and commercialising innovations.
“During a working visit to agencies under the ministry, I was shocked by the enormity of research outputs that had been left on the shelves to gather dust,” he said.
Event
The minister was addressing a Biannual Environment, Science and Technology (BEST) forum in Accra yesterday.
It was aimed at bridging the existing gap between research and industry, while showcasing innovations and connecting researchers with entrepreneurs and investors, including creating a common market place for all players in the ecosystem to meet and generate ideas.
There was also a launch of a national policy dialogue to highlight the need for partnerships for a smooth transfer of knowledge from laboratories and workshops to production lines of industry.
The dialogue was on the theme: “Bridging the gap to improve Ghana’s innovation and research commercialisation ecosystem for economic development”.
Dr Mohammed said the ministry was determined to bridge the gap through initiatives such as the Ghana Innovation and Research Commercialisation Centre (GIRC) and the Ghana Innovation Agency to support innovative research and commercialisation.
He, however, called for enhanced communication between ministries and agencies to curb duplication of efforts and missed opportunities for collaboration.
Intellectual property
The minister also highlighted the role of Intellectual Property (IP) registration in the commercialisation of research.
He said the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s IP Statistics Data Centre Information showed that Ghana ranked 127th in total patent applications in 2023, with only 12 applications, compared to China's 1,642,582 applications.
Citing some success stories of research outcomes, Dr Mohammed said Pozzolana cement and Neat Fufu products were developed courtesy the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
Dr Mohammed said in 2016, the country spent $500 million on rice and poultry imports, an amount that rose to over $3 billion by 2024.
He further said that the ministry was, among others, developing the Ghana Innovation and Start-up Bill to create a conducive environment for start-ups, and a revised Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policy, which was currently in Cabinet awaiting approval.
Support for research
The Country Director of UNESCO, Edmond Moukala, commended the government for taking action towards building a robust innovation ecosystem.
He reaffirmed the UN’s support for the forum, and called on the government to create policies that protect intellectual property to attract investors.
