Reported by, Nsor Paul Mensah
The National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) has launched its year-long programme, with the theme: Creating sustainable development through Collaboration, innovation and commercialization.
The event which took place in Accra today 7th June 2023 highlighted plans and programmes initiated by the department geared towards empowering innovation and startup businesses in the digital space to thrive.
The NEIP is mandated to serve as a leading enabler for start-ups and innovation in Ghana and also serve as a vehicle for entrepreneurship growth.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NEIP, Mr. Kofi Ofosu Nkansah at the Event said, as part of the government agenda to ensure entrepreneurship and innovation drive the digital economy, the department has developed a five-year strategic plan which is focused on innovation, startups, and entrepreneurship.
He emphasize that, the strategic plan includes unearthing innovations, and deliver mentoring and coaching to high innovation-based startups, provide direct and indirect funding support to third-party institutions such as tech hubs, incubators, accelerators, and other business development service providers, who provide business support for innovation-based start-ups.
Mr Nkansah added that the plan will also establish knowledge transfer partnership schemes by placing young people into innovation-based start-up clusters for them to conduct strategic innovation projects, and scout for innovation ideas through contests, challenges, and competitions in partnership with corporate institutions and foundations.
Again, “we will offer study tours to both local and international incubators and hubs, promote online entrepreneurship and innovation courses organise competitions aimed at encouraging innovation and creative thinking among students and embark on annual innovation, ideation and creative thinking scouting in various districts to hunt for innovation-based start-ups and talents.”
“The NEIP platform will bring together the best minds, innovative ideas, and various opportunities that lie within our innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem as part of efforts to encourage creativity and innovation and engage in programs and initiatives designed to inspire, educate, and connect aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs to grow,”.
The CEO revealed that participants will have the chance to take part in interactive workshops, engaging panel discussions, and thought-provoking keynotes delivered by industry leaders and experts to sharpen their skills and broaden their horizons.
Mr. Nkansah said the innovation celebrations will cover areas such as senior high school challenge where students will compete on the zonal basis to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems, enhancing their critical thinking abilities and nurturing their entrepreneurial mindset, engages in innovation and entrepreneurship symposium where topics relating to innovation, Intellectual property, licensing and patenting of inventions and copyrights among others.
Other areas he mentioned, include hackathon competitions where participants will engage themselves using technology over a short period of time to produce solutions for sector-specific problems, showcase their ideas in front of a distinguished panel of judges and potential investors and finally innovators and entrepreneurs can exhibit their innovative products and services on the sidelines of the symposium.
“We call on the entire innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem to join hands with us, as we pursue our innovation management programmes to spur the growth of the private sector and translate into more jobs for the youth.”
“With the above strategies, we hope to see our innovators filing patents at WIPO, as the Chinas and Japans do,”.