By Mildred Siabi-Mensah
Takoradi, April 18, GNA – SY Electronics, who pitched a unique business idea together with other eight Startups, has emerged the winner in the 2024 Startup Takoradi business initiative.
Lantos Creative concept emerged the first runner up in the same event organised by the Duapa Werkspace, a social enterprise and business incubation hub in the Western Region.
The 2024 Startup Takoradi was sponsored by VC4A, the Water Chain, Naa Sika, Gesro Co-Operative Credit Union and Aniwasoo Garment under the theme: “Sustainable Futures -Nurturing Green Innovation in the Digital Age.”
The Chief Executive Officer of the Duapa Werkspace in Takoradi, Mr Erasmus Mensah-Ackon said entrepreneurship was key to combating the growing youth unemployment in the country.
He said this could be done by encouraging more young people to venture into entrepreneurship, after which they are supported, groomed, mentored and provided with the necessary funds for their business.
The Executive Director said inculcating the use of Artificial Intelligence and productivity tools in this age of digitisation could improve one’s business efficiency.
He indicated that statistics did not favour start-ups, which mostly discouraged investors, hence the need for them to be supported and have a sustainable business for themselves and employ others.
The Duapa Werkspace’s Startup Takoradi initiative, preceded a one-week boot camp for some Youth in Sekondi-Takoradi to acquire skills and knowledge to advance their Startups.
“We look within the circular economy, building circular business and how they can inculcate technology to reduce waste, technology that will make their production more effective and efficient, which the boot camp has helped shaped their business idea down that path,” he added.
The National Second Vice of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry GNCCI, Mr Stephan Abass Miezan, indicated that the youth must not think of having a start-up capital before starting a business because all they need was an idea.
He indicated that once the idea was good and feasible, investors would put in their money and turn that idea into a viable business.
‘He said, ‘We are encouraging the young ones to plan life after school and not only look out for jobs but create their own by thinking of opportunities and business ideas.”
” The youth must not think of having money before they can start a business because all they need is an idea”
Mr Abass also told participants to look ahead and apply digitisation in performing their duties to stay abreast of the changing trends in business.
Some of the guest speakers at the event were Dr. Tony Faneke, a lecturer at the Takoradi Technical Institute and Ralph Menz, Founder of Naa Sika.
GNA