By D.I. Laary
Accra, Jan. 27, GNA – The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has revitalised its Commercialisation Division which collapsed in 2015, and appointed a new director to lead the initiative, focusing on a vision for sustainable growth.
The revamped Commercialisation Division is expected to adopt new marketing principles and innovations to enhance sustainable growth, and this would be achieved under the guidance of Mrs Naomi Owusu Appiah, its newly appointed Director, who has an extensive expertise in commercialisation, marketing and business development.
Mrs Appiah envisions transforming the Division into a center of excellence that drives innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurship to create sustainable economic value for the council.
The Commercialisation Division, which is expected to market existing products, mobilise resources to increase production and create partnerships, was reestablished in 2021 after it collapsed in 2015 due to its failure to meet the required responsibilities.
Professor Paul P. Bosu, the Director-General of CSIR, administered the Oaths of Office and Secrecy to Mrs Appiah, who pledged to serve, uphold, and defend the Constitution of Ghana, affirming also, not to disclose any information acquired in the course of her duties unless permitted by law.
In her address, Mrs Appiah expressed gratitude to the many distinguished individuals who had shaped her professional journey towards her new role.
Acknowledging the contributions of numerous mentors, including Prof. Paul Bosu, Prof. Victor Agyeman, and Dr Pearl Adu-Amankwah, she underscored the significance of collaboration in her career development.
Reflecting on the evolution of the commercialisation arm of CSIR, Mrs Appiah highlighted the challenges faced since the introduction of this mandates by the 1996 Act of Parliament, which required the Council’s institutes to generate 30 per cent of their recurrent expenditure.
She acknowledged the various achievements of CSIR in areas such as pozzolana cement production and packaged food sales, however difficulties including high operational costs had prevented the Council from achieving its targeted revenue.
Outlining her strategic vision, Mrs Appiah presented four key pillars aimed at enhancing CSIR’s commercial viability.
The first pillar focused on restructuring business operations to encourage a more independent and robust entity, while the second emphasised on innovative marketing strategies through a four-stage approach encompassing product development, incubation, business development, and company establishment with private investors.
Additionally, Mrs Appiah addressed the critical challenge of securing sustainable financial resources, proposing the establishment of a dedicated bank account for commercialisation activities to promote transparency and efficiency.
Her vision anticipates collaboration with private sector partners and securing project grants to diversify funding sources.
The fourth pillar centered on building a strong, ethically driven team dedicated to advancing the directorate’s objectives.
She pledged to enhance the capabilities and roles of commercialization staff across all 13 CSIR institutes, fostering collaboration with the Corporate Affairs Division to boost visibility and efficiency.
Mrs Appiah made a clarion call to CSIR management, staff, and the business community to support the commercialisation drive, urging stakeholders to invest in market-ready products and services that would benefit both Council and the wider Ghanaian economy.
The CSIR Act of 1996 (Act 521) mandates the Council to generate 30 per cent of its recurrent expenditure, highlighting the need for the introduction of market principles.
The restructuring would see the directorate being re-aligned to focus on key areas such as industry engagement, technology transfer, marketing and innovation management.
Professor Bosu highlighted the successful efforts that resulted in the revitalisation of the directorate and emphasised the Council’s commitment to supporting the commercialisation of its products, which included oil palm seeds, coconut seedlings, ‘prekese’ syrup, and various other products and services it produced.
He said CSIR had multiple products and services at different development stages that required business strategies to reach the market and was optimistic that changes in the Commercialisation Division, would boost economic growth through innovation and technology transfer.
Prof. Bosu expressed confidence in the new director’s ability to enhance marketing and pledged support for her success.
GNA