National Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Policy Document
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MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION NATIONAL SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION POLICY (2017 – 2020) MAY, 2017 FOREWORD Ghana’s attainment of middle-income status with per capita GDP in excess of $1,000 currently is very laudable. It is a long way from the $400 per capita of the 1990s. More importantly, the achievement sets the tone for the ambitious goal of attaining a per capita GDP of $3,000 as announced by the Government of Ghana. However, such national ambitions can only be attained on the wheels of a solid base of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI). This is the resounding lesson from the advancement of the industrialized and newly industrialized countries such as Korea, China and India. Soon after independence in 1957, Ghana realized the importance of creating a national capacity for STI. A number of scientific institutions were built to address the challenge of a young state emerging from a colonial era and establishing its membership in the Commonwealth of Nations. The Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) were key institutions set up to address the crucial challenge of forging a scientific and technological base for the country’s socio-economic development programmes. Today there is an even more crucial role for STI in national development. The technological advancement the world has experienced in recent years would have been unimaginable two or three decades ago. The revolutionary effect of new technologies particularly information and communication technology (ICT), biotechnology and nanotechnology, has transformed human activities and inter-state relations in several dimensions. In agriculture, industry, education, health, commerce, finance and other sectors of the economy, the new technologies have enhanced production, processing and marketing both quantitatively and qualitatively. With regards to the internet, the scope of socio-economic realities has expanded into virtual space. The challenge of building a national scientific and technological capacity has become more urgent and intensive. Whereas previously the talk was mainly about “science and technology”, now it is about “science, technology and innovation” and their effective application in the national economy and the wider society. There is still the fundamental problem of catching up technologically with the more advanced countries, but nowadays the emphasis is more on the essential driver and sustainer of socio- economic transformation in the world – innovation. Innovation ensures the use of knowledge to bring about scientific and technological applications which are new in the context of usage even though they may not be new in other parts of the world. In every sector of the national economy, there are specific problems to which innovation could provide good solutions. It is thus a pivot of economic growth and must be at the centre of Ghana’s ability to attain its national economic vision. The National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy therefore aims in broad terms, to provide a framework for stimulating innovation in the economy and the society. The Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) has the mandate to promote science and technology application in the country and to create the conditions and enabling environment for innovations to occur. In line with this mandate, MESTI presents this policy document as the fundamental basis of its endeavours. Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Accra 1st July 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD ________________________________________________________________ 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY _______________________________________________________ 6 1. CHAPTER: INTRODUCTION ______________________________________________ 11 1.1 Background ___________________________________________________________ 11 1.2 Existing Institutional Arrangements for Science, Technology and Innovation _____ 16 1.3 What Constrains STI Application? ________________________________________ 18 1.4 Justification for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy ___________________ 19 2. CHAPTER: VISION, GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES _______________________ 23 2.1 Vision ________________________________________________________________ 24 2.2 Objectives _____________________________________________________________ 25 2.2.1 Long-term Objectives (Ten years and beyond) _______________________________________ 25 2.2.2 Medium-Term Objectives (of between five and ten years) _____________________________ 26 2.2.3 Short-Term Objectives (Up to five years) ____________________________________________ 26 2.3 Guiding Principles ______________________________________________________ 27 3. CHAPTER: SECTOR-SPECIFIC POLICIES AND MEASURES TO APPLY STI _____________ 29 3.1 Agriculture _____________________________________________________________ 30 3.2 Health ________________________________________________________________ 32 3.3 Education ______________________________________________________________ 34 3.4 Energy ________________________________________________________________ 35 3.5 Industry _______________________________________________________________ 37 3.6 Trade _________________________________________________________________ 39 3.7 Environment ___________________________________________________________ 39 3.8 Human Settlements _____________________________________________________ 40 3.9 Natural Resources (Land, Minerals, Water, Oil, Gas, Wildlife, etc.), _______________ 41 3.10 Science Acculturation ____________________________________________________ 42 3.11 Information and Communication Technologies _______________________________ 43 3.12 Building and Construction ________________________________________________ 43 3.13 Science, Technology and Innovation and National Security ______________________ 44 3.14 Nuclear Science and Technology ___________________________________________ 44 3.15 Materials Science and Engineering _________________________________________ 45 3.16 Basic Research __________________________________________________________ 46 3.17 Sports and Recreation ___________________________________________________ 46 3.18 Youth Innovation _______________________________________________________ 47 3.19 Roads and Transport _____________________________________________________ 48 3.20 Tourism _______________________________________________________________ 48 3.21 Space Science and Technologies ___________________________________________ 49 4. CHAPTER: MANAGING SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION POLICY ________ 50 4.1 Apex STI Body __________________________________________________________ 50 4.2 Measuring the Performance of Science, Technology and Innovation ______________ 52 4.3 Promoting the Development and Utilization of STI Capabilities __________________ 53 4.4 Promoting Science and Technology Capacity Building __________________________ 53 4.5 Strengthening National Engineering Design and Manufacturing Capacity __________ 54 4.6 Strengthening the Protection of Intellectual and Innovative Property Rights ________ 55 4.7 Promoting participation of Women in Science and Technology ___________________ 56 4.8 Promoting International and Local Co-operation and Linkages ___________________ 57 4.9 Promoting a Science and Technology Culture _________________________________ 57 5. CHAPTER: MECHANISMS FOR FINANCING STI DEVELOPMENT __________________ 59 5.1 Government Efforts in Financing Science and Technology _______________________ 59 5.2 Private Sector Contribution _______________________________________________ 60 5.3 Other Stakeholders’ Contribution __________________________________________ 61 APPENDIX 1 – THE STI ORGANISATIONAL FRAMEWORK IN GHANA __________________ 62 APPENDIX II - SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT AND PROMOTION INSTITUTIONS __ 63 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction At the dawn of her independence in 1957, Ghana nursed a dream of rapid social and economic development on the back of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI). In spite of the post-independence push that created much of the current scientific and technological capacity, there has not been much progress in making Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) the main drivers of socio-economic activities. The vision which fueled the passion for science-led development considerably waned after the fall of the first nationalist government of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in 1966. Also lacking has been a definitive and prescriptive National STI policy that spells out the vision, goals, objectives and priorities for investment in STI. Such a policy would have committed government, public and private sector organizations, including the scientific institutions to specific targets for production, processing, research and development (R&D) and innovation. On the specific issue of STI policy formulation in Ghana, one such policy document was adopted by Cabinet in 2000. In 2001 a working document on the management and administration of science and technology policy was prepared. However, both documents did not advance to the implementation stage. Another significant move was made in 2004 to showcase science and technology as a major tool for development. It involved a high profile conference, dubbed the First National Forum on Research, Science and Technology (March 2004), and was graced by the President himself and his ministers.