Strategic collaboration between academia and industry can spur growth in key sectors of the economy, senior lecturer at the Department of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, Dr. Abena Yeboah-Banin, has opined.
She said the two will be able to explore opportunities in key sectors, particularly manufacturing, when relevant research is leveraged to promote innovation, and if they collaborate. Doing this, she explains, will invigorate economic recovery efforts.
Her call followed findings from a research she led titled ‘Research, Innovation, Socialisation, Communication, Advocacy and Marketing (RISCAM)’, which revealed that researchers are primarily interested in getting their research – which could fuel industry growth – published in journals for their career progression and promotion.
The study also found that there is low industry interest in research – a situation that could limit manufacturing activities, fuel high import dependency and discourage investments in innovations.
To this end, she emphasised the need for collaboration; noting that industries should take advantage of research outcomes.
She also urged government to establish a research development fund to support RISCAM.
Dr. Yeboah-Banin made these remarks at a two-day workshop organised by Heritors Labs in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) and the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI), funded by the Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) Fund for researchers and media practitioners in Accra.
The workshop, among other things, aimed at galvanising the media to assist in the communication and commercialisation of research work.
The Director for Science, Technology and Innovation at MESTI, Kwamena Essilfie Quaison, acknowledged that scientific and technological advancements have a significant impact on every aspect of life; and that making great strides in this regard has the potential of contributing to economic growth and development.
He added that ensuring effective collaboration will foster the development of an innovative ecosystem, promote skills development and support entrepreneurship programmes in the country.
“At MESTI, we have been working tirelessly to support the transformation of research output and innovative ideas into industrial products and services through our GIRC-Centre platform,” he added.
For his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Heritors Labs, Derrydean Dadzie, reaffirms his outfit’s commitment to helping enhance the commercialisation of research in the country.
He reiterated that to achieve the desired development that the country aspires to, research and innovation must be at the forefront of industrial growth.
“We are creating a platform to ensure that research and innovation become meaningful assets that can be used to add value to national resources,” he said.
He also tasked researchers to be proactive and make their research outcomes relatable.
Heritors Labs Limited is a pioneering product development company that specialises in software engineering and serves as a hub for cutting-edge research and innovation. It is collaborating with the Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) Fund to support GIRC-Centre in its mission to translate research outputs, prototypes, inventions and innovative ideas into standard marketable products and services through commercialisation.
