
Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has called for enhanced collaboration between research laboratories and factories to boost Ghana's manufacturing capacity. Speaking at the 14th Global Biennial Congress and Alumni Homecoming of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on October 23, 2026, the Minister emphasized that industry-academic partnerships are vital for fostering local production and economic transformation. She underscored the need for bridging the gap between scientific research and commercial application to drive industrial growth.
The Minister highlighted that the integration of academic expertise with industrial resources is necessary for the nation to move beyond raw material exports toward value-added manufacturing. She urged KNUST alumni and the academic community to leverage their specialized knowledge to support the development of local industries. By creating a direct link between the laboratory and the factory floor, the Minister argued that Ghana could produce higher quality goods more efficiently, strengthening the domestic market and reducing reliance on imports.
The event, which was graced by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, provided a platform for discussing the role of higher education in national development. Ofosu-Adjare noted that the government remains committed to creating an enabling environment for these three-way partnerships between the state, academia, and the private sector. Such cooperation, she stated, is a prerequisite for achieving sustainable economic self-reliance and global competitiveness in an increasingly technological world.
In her closing remarks, the Minister challenged the university to continue serving as a primary hub for industrial innovation. She called on stakeholders to invest in research that solves practical industrial challenges, ensuring that the graduates produced are equipped to lead the country's manufacturing sector. This alignment between education and industry is expected to create more jobs and stabilize the economy through increased local production and innovation.