Ghana needs deliberate efforts by scientists and innovators to turn the economy around if it hopes be like other developed countries.

The Director-General, Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Prof Alex Dodoo who made the call said the way was to create jobs through industrialisation to improve the wellbeing of the citizenry.

He was speaking at the standardisation, certification and conformity assessment workshop held in Accra under the theme: “advancing standards and certification in research and innovation: Building a symbolic relationship with regulators and a culture of standards among researchers and innovators.”

Brought together by Heritors in partnership with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research with support from RISA Fund and FCDO, he charged relevant stakeholders in the innovation cycle to work together as a team not in silo.

“There is the need for symbolic relationship between service providers, researchers and innovators in promoting adherence to standards and pursuing certification as first option in product and innovation development” he stated.

Prof Dodoo said countries that have transitioned from underdevelopment thrived on the back of deliberate policies that utilised the application of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for development.

“Throughout history, major transformative shifts in countries growth and development trajectories have often been linked with the successful application of STI.

“The experience of successful developing countries shows that STI policies that are well integrated into national development strategies and combined institutional and organisational changes can help raise productivity, improve firm competitiveness, support faster growth and above all create jobs,” he said.

Buttressing his views, the Deputy Director –General of CSIR Marian Quain reiterated the Council’s vision to use the transforming power of STI for wealth creation and the mission to become the force for accelerated social and economic development of Ghana through examing , exploring and creating science and Technology catalysts for public and private wealth creation.

Innovation she said defined by the Oslo Manual 1 of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as “the implementation of a new or significantly improved product (good or service) or process, a new marketing method, or a new organizational method in business practices, workplace organization or external relations.”

“Research is the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions and is defined as the creation of new knowledge and/or the use of existing knowledge in a new and creative way so as to generate new concepts, methodologies and understandings.” 

“Adherence to standards and certification are therefore critical to ensure quality and acceptance of the results generated from Research and Innovations. This provides client confident in an ecosystem of modernization” she stated.

The Chief Executive of Heritors Lab,  Derrydean Dadzie said the reality of the situation, was that STI have not kept pace with population growth to create the needed jobs, saying “the investments Ghana has made in STI have not commensurate impact in terms of jobs, economic emancipation and national development.”

He told Ghanaian scientists to be bold to confront the government and stand up to be counted by moving from their comfort zone.

“Ghanaian scientists and technologists must also to take-up the challenge of using Ghanaian science, academic expertise, raw materials, and professionals to build appropriate social infrastructural, energy and services to propel economic growth” he stated.

BY BENEDICTA GYIMAAH FOLLEY