The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s Institute for Scientific and Technological Information (CSIR-INSTI) has launched a makerspace platform with the expectation to boost research and the digitization drive of the country.
The makerspace platform, designed under CSIR-INSTI’s Electronics Division, would support the development of next-generation electronics tools and technologies and help in solving electronics and communication problems for national and social-economic development. The CSIR-INSTI makerspace will also enable Ghanaian start-ups and researchers have a stake in the 2020 projected $5.2 trillion global information technology industry, estimated by the International Data Corporation.
Speaking at the launching ceremony in Accra, Mr Michael Wilson, Head of the Electronic Division, CSIR-INSTI, explained that the makerspace provides co-innovative space where like-minded persons gather to work on personal projects, share tools and expertise as well as learn from each other. He stated that the objective of the CSIR-INSTI makerspace was to establish a solution hub based on applied research into accelerating technologies in electronics and telecommunications and to provide recommendations targeted at creating new businesses from innovations.
Mr Wilson added that the makerspace would also facilitate the migration of basic research from innovators and University students to applied research while supporting with technical expertise to assist start-ups crossover the innovation valley. He said the CSIR-INSTI makerspace would also provide start-ups and innovators the opportunity to prototype and test their ideas at a lower cost leveraging on shared resources.
“Once the prototype of solutions has been successfully tested and improved through series of research and development, final prototypes or outputs from the makerspace will feed directly to industry through institutions like the CSIR-TDTC and the Ghana Innovation and Research Commercialisation (GIRC) Centre whose visions are to facilitate the translation of these prototypes and innovations into standard marketable products and services for commercialization,” Mr Wilson explained.
Dr Seth Awuku Manteaw, Director of CSIR-INSTI, said the first-ever makerspace of the institution, was one of the steps towards operationalizing and charting a pathway to respond to the changing dynamics of the generation of knowledge, processing of the mainstreaming of digital technologies in the activities of the Institute. He expressed the hope that with its operational line of structure, the CSIR-INSTI makerspace would grow and become an important practical arm for CSIR- INSTI, CSIR, and the nation as a whole.
“For me, the inauguration of the CSIR-INSTI Makerspace represents a significant milestone in our efforts at giving the true meaning of the digitizing drive in our efforts at creating the platform for young people to network and find solutions to societal problems”, Dr Awuku Manteaw said
Dr Wilhemina Quaye, Director of the CSIR- Science and Technology Policy Research Institute, who represented Professor Victor Kwame Agyeman, Director General of CSIR, said technological improvements plays a key role in today’s global economy, which requires an increased knowledge base for industrial innovation. She, therefore, commended INSTI for coming out with such innovation, which would help boost the technological advancement of Ghana.
