Minister calls for institutions collaboration on innovation
Dr Joseph Oteng-Adjei, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), has called for strengthened collaboration between institutions under the sector Ministry to heighten innovations for national development.
He noted that the various institutions under the sector have over the years been working on their own without involving the Ministry much in their operations, except when it comes to policy.
Dr Oteng-Adjei said this often lead to limited progress in the area of infrastructural development, procurement of equipment, technology transfer as well as innovations for maximising internally generated funds for their own expansion.
The Minister made the call when met with Directors of the various institutes under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Accra on Monday.
He said it was critical that the various institutions involve the sector in its dealings, to help address challenges rather than approaching such challenges in ways which often yields unproductive outcomes.
He asked the Council to expand its research-base and focus on innovative outcomes, which could enhance their capital base to complement government subventions for their internal operations.
He also called on scientists to come out with programmes, write-ups researches that would encourage and boost the interest of the youth, to consider science as an option so that they could replace the aging scientist population in Ghana.
Dr Oteng-Adjei commended the CSIR for its immense contribution towards research and innovation through its 13 institutes, which include the Agricultural Research, Soil Research, Water Research, Plant Research and the Animal Research Institutes.
He appealed to the Council to consider undertaking commercial activities and improving its products and services for the entrepreneurial community to patronise them.
Dr Oteng-Adjei said this could also enable the company to make profit for its management instead of relying on government subvention which is mostly inadequate.
He promised to work with all the institutions under the Ministry to ensure progress and national development.
Dr Abdulai Baba Salifu, Director-General, CSIR, gave an overview of the operations of the Council, which he said was mandated to coordinate all research activities of the various institutes under it.
He said, currently, the Council faces various challenges in actualising part of its mandate due to inadequate funding, obsolete infrastructure, modern laboratories and equipment as well as challenges in land acquisition for its research sites projects among other things.
He said the Council was engaged in projects and programmes and but appealed to the Ministry to intervene as ensure early release of subventions and other funding, to facilitate research programmes for the benefit of the country.
Dr Salifu assured the Minister of partnership and collaboration and also to work closely with the private sector to maximise its profit.
Source: GNA