By Emmanuel AKOMEA
Semiconductor Professor of Business at the Supply Chain Management department at Arizona State University, Dale Rogers, has emphasised the critical need to link academia, industry, and policymakers to address the significant challenges in African supply chain management.
Speaking at a supply chain business forum and exhibition organised by Centre for Applied Research and Innovation in Supply Chain – Africa (CARISCA), in Accra, under the theme ‘Navigating the Future of Supply Chain in Africa, he noted that collaborative efforts among these three sectors are essential for developing effective solutions and driving progress.
“The key thing we want to have come out of this business forum is that we want to link academia, industry and policymakers, because to solve the great challenges that we have in African supply chain management, we need all three of those institutions to be able to work together,” he said.
Prof. Rogers stressed that overcoming artificial barriers to progress and leveraging technological advancements can greatly enhance supply chain efficiency. Projects like the AI-driven pharmaceutical distribution initiative at KNUST exemplify the potential for African students to match their peers in Europe, the US, and China, he added.
He underscored the exceptional human capital in Ghana and across Africa, noting that the continent boasts an abundance of talented and intelligent individuals. He also pointed out the rapid pace of change in Ghana over the past six to seven years, with technological advancements outstripping infrastructure and policy updates, further underscoring the need for coordinated efforts to keep pace with progress.
Director of Centre for Applied Research and Innovation in Supply Chain – Africa (CARISCA), Prof. Nathaniel Boso, also highlighted the vital opportunity for academia and industry to come together, emphasising the need to ensure that the research conducted in universities is directly relevant to the problems and challenges that businesses encounter, particularly in logistics and supply chain management.
Professor Boso emphasised the importance of bridging the gap between academia and industry to improve Africa’s logistics and supply chain management.
The business forum and exhibition also highlighted the ongoing partnerships with Arizona State University, KNUST, and various industry stakeholders, including the Chartered Institute of Transport and Logistics. Prof. Boso said these collaborations have been instrumental in creating innovative solutions and fostering a deeper understanding of supply chain efficiencies.
One innovative initiative he talked about was the development of an index designed to track logistics activities across the economy, offering an alternative to traditional GDP measures that primarily focus on consumer expenditure.
“We are collaborating with industry partners to create a new way of tracking economic activities, which includes transportation and warehousing. Our model aims to capture the supply side of inflation, examining how inefficiencies in the supply chain contribute to rising prices,” he explained.
The forum provided a platform for networking and brainstorming innovative solutions, with hopes that continued collaboration will yield further advancements in supply chain efficiency and effectiveness across the continent.
