How about promoting the idea of established Ghanaian companies creating subsidiaries that are of interest to Government. On new industries and in new locations that match the priorities of the new Government's plan of one-district-one-factory. An initiative to provide these companies with the incentives needed to create new subsidiaries in collaboration with Ghanaian startups / government agencies / external investors / other Ghanaian investors. Look for the top 500 Ghanaian companies and engage them in a joint exercise of industrial expansion across the country in record time.
Four years is too short a time for new companies to emerge that can produce the kind of industrial output the nation needs to fight poverty and unemployment. Established companies have strong corporate structures and industrial know-how to make impact in 3-4 years. Leveraging the power of established companies across the country to drive this industrial expansion project is a smart move. This will be a good first phase action, while we develop a medium term plan of new enterprise creations anchored on an authentic national innovation system.
Four years is too short a time for new companies to emerge that can produce the kind of industrial output the nation needs to fight poverty and unemployment. Established companies have strong corporate structures and industrial know-how to make impact in 3-4 years. Leveraging the power of established companies across the country to drive this industrial expansion project is a smart move. This will be a good first phase action, while we develop a medium term plan of new enterprise creations anchored on an authentic national innovation system.
The industry of tomorrow is industry 4.0: it's going to be all about individualized production. For this kind of industry Ghana is totally unprepared and incapable of participating. None of the nation's Universities is in the position to initiate any credible development in industry 4.0. This fact should not cause us any distress. Many countries across the globe are presently initiating action in this direction, let's set off now.
In the area of Biomedical R&D and healthcare services, industry 4.0 means personalized medicine. We need to develop systems for biobanking (cord blood, teen-age microbiota), genome sequencing, biomarker monitoring devices and wearable/implantable medicine dispensing devices. Strategies for national preventive treatment service to drive health promotion through nation-wide campaigns to control diseases in the population.
Here is what I think we need:
1. We need Chief Scientific Officer in every ministry.
2. We need Ghana Research Council to fund R&D.
3. We need Centres of Excellence for Research in every region.
4. We need Technological Centres in every region (for Industry 4.0 people to craft things).
4. We need Technological Centres in every region (for Industry 4.0 people to craft things).
The way forward is clear.
Let's do it
