By Francis Ameyibor
Accra, Dec. 18, GNA – Engineering, construction, and logistics firms mounted an exhibition on modern technologies as part of the Africa Continental Engineering and Construction Network summit held in Accra.
The summit was on the theme “Integrating the Sustainable Built Environment Industry for Socio-Economic Transformation Through the Use of Digital Twin Technologies.”
STEM students from Kumasi Academy Senior High School (SHS) made an impressive presentation of their Smart Urban Gardening Initiative, a green technology revolution.
According to the students, the Smart Urban Gardening project integrated advanced technology and sustainable practices for urban agriculture.
Professor Divine Ahadzie, Centre for Settlements Studies at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, said Ghana had experienced major floods every two years for the last 20 years, but preparedness was not getting any better.
Prof. Ahadzie was speaking on “Refocusing Ghana’s Flood Preparedness and Response for Socio-Economic Transformation through the Use of Digital Twin Technologies” at the summit.
In the recent VRA flood, Prof. Ahadzie suggested that VRA should enhance their engagement with the communities by strengthening the use of twin technologies and other community-based technologies.
He proposed a simplified community flood resilience framework to comprise the Chiefs, Assemblymen, MPs, NADMO, and District Assembly, among others.
GM Bamboo Eco-City Limited, the Principal Consultant and partner of the African Continental Sustainable Built Environment Industry Summit (ACEACFMS) 2023, decided to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kumasi Academy SHS.
The MOU was to enable the two bodies to work closely on 166-acre bamboo eco-tech industrial garden city projects in the Central Region, where 3,500 sustainable smart infrastructures will be developed with integrated smart gardening technologies.
As part of the MOU, an 80-foot x 160-foot plot has been given to the Kumasi Academy STEM Team by GM Bamboo Eco-City Limited at Bamboo Eco-City-2 to build the prototypes of their Smart House and Urban Garden Technologies.
The Bamboo Eco-Tech City-2 Project is located near Cape Coast at Abankrom, Afenakrom, and Damang in the Anomabo Traditional Area within the Mfantseman Municipality in the Central Region of the Republic of Ghana.
GM Bamboo Eco-City will also partner Kumasi Academy SHS to develop grant-winning proposals to access funds to develop their technologies.
As part of the Africa Continental Engineering and Construction Network summit, awards were presented to institutions, individuals, and corporate bodies that had distinguished themselves in the advancement of technology in the built environment.
The Excellence in Technology and Innovation Award (corporate category) went to GM Bamboo Eco-City Limited; Kumasi Academy SHS was the runner-up; and the Excellence in Digital Twin Technology (corporate category) went to Siemens Ghana and South Africa PTY.
Other award winners are the Excellence in Climate Finance Mobilisation and Training to Ghana Climate Innovation Centre and Gloria Bulus, Executive Director, Bridge the Gap Initiative, Kaduna, Nigeria.
The Excellence in Climate Action: Environment, Economic, and Finance Reportage was won by Mr. Mohammed A. Abu, Africa Rising Communications, and Editor-in-Chief.
The Excellence in Professional Service Awards went to Climate Finance Mobilisation and Training by Samuel Dotse; Green Building Market Transformation by Mr. Paul Ocran; Building Code and Regulations Development by Mr. Bright Attipoe-Denyah; and Flood Risk Management and Community Action by Prof. Divine Ahadzie.
The rest were Practical Building and Construction Technologies by Mr. Emmanuel S. K. Degbey; Local Content Industrialization by Prof. Appiah-Kubi; Research and Innovation in Sustainable Building Materials by Prof. Danso Humphrey; and Excellence in Standards Development by Mr. Emmanuel Obeng.
Others included excellence in geological services, Dr. Daniel Kwayisi Excellence in Earthquake and Seismology Services, Mr. Nicholas Opoku, and Saviour Morkley; and Excellence in Developing a Solid Report for Earthquake Disaster Preparedness and Response for the Republic of Ghana, Technical Committee Category.
A 10-member Presidential Technical Committee that prepared a document called “A Framework for Refocusing Ghana’s Earthquake Preparedness and Response” was also acknowledged.
The African Real Estate Company of the Year 2023—Low-Income Category went to Adom City Estate; the Supreme Business Excellence Award also went to the African CEO of the Year, Residential Real Estate—Low Income, 2023, Dr. Bright Adom.
Mr. Daniel Kontie, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Africa Continental Engineering and Construction Network, said the African Built Environment must be placed in a position to transition from the current brown construction techniques to green building technologies.
Mrs. Carlien Bou-Chedid, the immediate past President of the Federation of African Engineering Organisations (FAEO), speaking on the theme, said the use of digital twin technology created a virtual or digital replica of physical objects, processes, or systems to allow for real-time monitoring, analysis, and optimization.
GNA