By Kodjo Adams
Accra, Oct. 25, GNA – The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) plans to produce about 30 per cent of the components used in assembling its laptops locally within the next three years.
Professor John Kwaku Mensah Mawutor, the Vice-Chancellor, announced this at the launch of the university’s maiden Laptop Assembly Plant in Accra.
He said the initiative formed part of UPSA’s broader digital transformation agenda to commercialise knowledge, strengthen local manufacturing capacity and create opportunities for young people in the technology value chain.
The plant was established in collaboration with Mind Dey Talent and IT Solutions Limited, a Chinese technical partner.
Prof. Mawutor said the facility would provide students with hands-on experience in laptop assembly, repairs and other technology-related activities while laying the foundation for local manufacturing capabilities.
He said the initiative would bridge the gap between academic training and practical industry experience, while equipping students with the technical skills to assemble, maintain and eventually develop technological products locally.
“Over time, we can strengthen our skills base, support enterprise development and create opportunities for young people to participate in the technology value chain,” he said.
The plant also demonstrated how universities could contribute to national development priorities, including digital transformation and the Government’s 24-hour economy policy, by linking education with production and industry, Prof. Mawutor said.
He stressed that sustained collaboration among government, universities and industry would be essential to realising the initiative’s full potential.
The Vice-Chancellor called on public institutions, businesses and financial partners to support the UPSA in skills development, technical cooperation and the adoption of locally assembled devices that met the required quality and performance standards.
Such partnerships, he noted, would strengthen the plant’s operations and create a pathway from student training to employment and entrepreneurship.
He encouraged students to take advantage of the facility and approach the practical training opportunities with curiosity, discipline and a willingness to learn.
Dr Harry Lawson Kwaku Agbanu, Chairman of the UPSA Governing Council, urged the plant’s management to operate it as a sustainable enterprise focused on quality, affordability and customer satisfaction.
He said its long-term success would depend on its ability to meet market needs while providing practical training opportunities for students.
Mr Jimmy Wilson Owusu, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of Mind Dey Talent and IT Solutions Limited, said his experiences studying and working in China had exposed him to technology markets, factories and manufacturing centres, where young people used practical skills to build, repair and improve technological products and establish businesses.
Those experiences, he said, had inspired him to explore ways of creating similar opportunities for young people in Ghana.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Kodjo Adams
Email: [email protected]