Accra, June 16, GNA – Dr. Norbert Schultes, Head of the National Contact Point for Twinning, TAIEX and Institutional Partnerships, has lauded the growing partnership between Ghanaian and German institutions.
Speaking at a Symposium on Science-Based Innovation for Robust Construction Materials in Ghana, Dr Schultes said the collaboration had significantly advanced Ghana’s capacity in sustainable construction, standardization, and innovation.
He said the partnership between German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Ghana’s Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry as well as the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) had laid the groundwork for long-term collaboration between the Ghanaian and German institutions.
There were collaborations with DIN, the German Standardisation Body, DIBt, the German government authority on the construction sector and PTB, the German national metrology institute.
The theme was “Accelerating National Development of Quality Construction through Standardization and Quality Assurance Processes.”
The institutional partnership allows government agencies of different countries to work with each other on equal terms or on a peer-to-peer basis to improve their institutional set-up.
“That means, instead of using external consultants we enable the government officials in the different agencies to speak with each other and learn from each other,” he said.
Currently, there are eight such partnership across the world.
The main objective of the partnership with Ghana was to strengthen Ghana’s public testing laboratories in the construction materials and chemicals sector.
It was agreed to work closely together on improving standards of Ghanaian testing laboratories for construction materials. More specifically in the field of sustainable cement binders and organic chemical admixtures for concrete.
The partnership aimed at improving testing standards, promote sustainable construction practices, and foster innovation through technical collaboration and capacity building.
“As you all know, construction activities and products come from everywhere. And construction is relevant to people’s health and safety. If the products on the market do not meet
reasonable safety standards, the booming construction business turns into the opposite and harms society,” he said.
Dr S said over the course of the partnership, significant progress was made in upgrading laboratory infrastructure, developing training programmes, and enhancing standardization processes.
Key equipment such as fumes hood, platinum crucibles and hot plate were procured and GSA staff received hands-on training in Germany.
The project also supported the discussion of performance-based standards for cement and chemical admixtures and the adoption of cement standards that will allow for clinker substitution and use of calcine clay.
The idea behind it is to position GSA as a leader in regional standardization.
The partnership also emphasized inclusive development, with initiatives like Girls STEM Day and gender equity workshops to promote women in science and engineering.
A “Practical Handbook for Safe, Smart and Durable Construction in Ghana” was developed to guide safe and sustainable practices, particularly for informal construction artisans and workers.
The project also explored digital quality control systems and the use of local materials like calcined clay in cement production.
Prof. Alex Dodoo, Director-General, Ghana Standards Authority, Standardization must be accompanied by robust quality assurance processes—testing, inspection, certification, and continuous monitoring.
These processes ensure that compliance is not just a promise on paper, but a practice on the ground.
“Construction is not just about cement, steel, and concrete—it is about trust. It is about guaranteeing that our infrastructure can stand the test of time, climate, and human usage.
This trust is built on standards—on verifiable, science-based frameworks that guide how materials are produced, how structures are designed, and how quality is assured from start to finish.
Prof. Dodoo said the GSA was committed to ensuring that cement, steel reinforcements, blocks, paints, and all other materials used in our buildings conform to both national and international standards.
“When this is done consistently, we don’t just prevent building collapses—we build investor confidence, improve public safety, and drive innovation.”
He praised strategic international partnerships with Germany, through institutions like BAM (Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing) for supporting scientific innovation, technical training, and policy alignment in quality infrastructure.
“With support from the German Government and platforms like Twinning and TAIEX, we have seen the cross-pollination of ideas and methodologies that raise the bar for construction quality in Ghana,” he said.
GNA
Edited by Christian Akorlie