Ghana must turn scientific research into practical industrial solutions – CSIR-IIR director
Dr. William Owusu Oduro, the new Director of the CSIR-IIR, believes Ghana must shift toward industry-focused scientific research. He warned that innovations ignoring the practical needs of manufacturers could hinder industrial goals. Research institutions should prioritize technologies that lower costs and improve production for local businesses to compete with imports. Dr. Oduro proposed an industry immersion program. This would place technical staff within manufacturing companies to find and solve operational challenges.
The new Director of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research's Institute of Industrial Research (CSIR-IIR), Dr William Owusu Oduro, has called for a shift towards industry-focused scientific research, warning that innovations that fail to address manufacturers' practical needs could undermine Ghana's industrial ambitions. He says research institutions must prioritise technologies that help local businesses improve production, reduce costs and compete with imported products. Delivering his inaugural address, Dr Oduro proposed an industry immersion programme that would place technical staff directly within manufacturing companies to identify operational challenges and develop practical solutions. He said the initiative would help researchers better understand the needs of businesses and produce technologies that could be adopted and commercialised, rather than remaining at the prototype stage.