The Director of Science, Technology and Innovation at the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Kwamena Essilfie Quaison, has urged stakeholders to stimulate the standardisation of Industrial Property (IP) through education and capacity building. 

“We have witnessed some public discourse on Copyrights associated with the music industry and it happens to be the closest we have come to discuss IP in the public domain…We have also witnessed how football has been well structured through standard agreements or contracts for the sale or transfers of players. 

“It only goes without saying that standardisation has paid off in these structured arrangements. This has not really happened in Industrial Property, and we need to stimulate that culture by education and capacity building,” he said.  

He said this during the opening ceremony of the Ghana Jobs and Skills Project Training on the Framework for Technology Transfer, in Accra.  

The two-day event organised by MESTI brought together representatives of University and Research Institutions, Start Ups and Industry representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies to receive training on technology and innovation.  

Mr Quaison said intangibles like technology, Brands, IPs and Designs had shaped the global market competitiveness and expressed worry that Ghana, with all its potentials, had not been able to record a significant number of IPs as compared to countries like South Africa and Kenya.  

He said there had been some significant investment in research and development in Ghana since independence, however, it was yet to be properly traced to products and services in the real sector except in areas of crop varieties or improved seedlings associated with agriculture.  

The Director urged participants to contribute to the discourse and take advantage of the experts available to enrich their knowledge on the subject matter. 

International IP Expert and Consultant, Emmanuel Sackey, during a presentation on the topic, “Introduction to Intellectual Property and Registration Procedures”, defined IP as a set of ideas, information and knowledge.  

“IP Rights are specific legal rights, which protect the owners of IP or persons over the creation of their minds, under certain conditions,” he added.  

Mr Sackey said over the years, Africa had contributed only 0.6 per cent to patenting worldwide and urged stakeholders to pay close attention to that area.  

He said according to the Elsevier Report, 2021, Africa generated less than one per cent of the world's research publications.  

“According to the Journal of Lientometric Research (2022), Africa contributes 7.6 per cent of scientific publications in the world,” he added.  

Mr Sackey urged the participants to invest in branding of their products to give it a global appeal and enhance its market value.  

Project Officer, Ghana Jobs and Skills Project, said the Ghana Jobs and Skills Project (GJSP), Andrew Odoi, was a five-year US$200 million World Bank funded project, which was signed in 2020 to support skills development and job creation in Ghana.  

He explained that US$60million of the total amount had been allocated for apprenticeship training for jobs to be implemented by the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET).  

“US$100million of the total amount has also been allocated for entrepreneurship training and competitive business start- up grants to individuals for jobs and private enterprises for expanded employment,” he said.  

US$30million will be used for development and operationalisation of the Ghana Labour market Information System, upgrading of district Public Employment Centres and provision of job connection and Labour market information services and independent performance reviews of youth employment and skills development programsme.  

“US$10million has been allocated for capacity development and technical assistance and project management support,” Mr Odoi added.