Our Impact

Food security-agribusiness linkage is a phenomenon that has been driven by the natural tendency for eating what one does not grow. Food is needed by everybody and for the volumes required to be available all the time and meet dietary needs, systems inclusive of not only distribution infrastructure but also research, innovation and learning (RIL) should be perpetuated. The University of Ghana has since its institution recognized the role of RIL and established faculties, institutes, centres and offices to champion the course. The private sector’s role in the partnerships has not been well-defined, to give it confidence for greater participation and investment in research and development as well as the commercialization of agro-based innovation.

The concept

This project seeks to work with strategic partners in the private sector (RMG Ghana Ltd. and Agri-Impact Consult) and international community (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa) as well as Government’s research institutes under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness of the University of Ghana to support the existing Technology Transfer Office in the University to raise funds and conduct market research for the introduction and scale up of new agri-products, study of market opportunities and identify factors to stimulate new product demand. The project will support the University to update relevant policy documents related to innovation development, Intellectual Property production and technology transfer.  It will also support capacity building of faculty and students on IP protection and Agricultural technology transfer processes to create a conducive environment for university-agro-industry partnerships.

Expected Impact

The project aims to; (a) strengthen the innovation potential of University of Ghana faculty and students towards the development of novel ideas, services, products, collaboration and joint projects with private sector; (b) stimulate and encourage the development of technological innovations and commercialization; increase the investment of private sector into agricultural Research and Development (R&D) projects of the University of Ghana; (c) raise the level of commercial readiness through the funding of additional development of inventions / innovations; increase the number of intellectual property (IP) protected results in agribusiness (preferably patents) that have the potential to be applied in practice for the benefits of SSA societies; (e) stimulate cooperation between the University of Ghana and private sector in order to create the conditions for development of novel technologies,  services and methods; and (f) encourage the transfer of knowledge and technology in cooperation with domestic and international partners from the agricultural scientific-research and economic sector.