Collaboration with academia, industry players will drive technological progress – Accra Mayor
Ms. Elizabeth Naa Kwatsoe Sackey, Mayor of Accra, has called for a proactive partnership between the government, academia, and industry to drive advancements in technology.
She stressed the need of introducing practical ways to educate the public on how to use the digital space to create a tech city and increase productivity.
Ms Sackkey made the call at the two-day International Conference of Tech Trends and Future Careers in Accra.
The conference is organised by the Accra Technical University (ATU) in collaboration with the University of Vaasa, Finland.
It was on the topic “Promoting Global Collaboration for Sustainable Business Growth, Showcasing Emerging Tech and Career Trends.”
Ms Sackey said that the country must adapt and innovate using technology to address the growing demands and challenges of several sectors of the economy.
“It was not surprising that Ghana has fully embraced the 4th revolution and championed the digitisation agenda in ensuring seamless service delivery,” he said.
She commended ATU and its partners for carrying the digitisation drive forward by incorporating technology into their operations to improve efficiency.
The Accra Mayor stated that the Assembly had incorporated technology into its operations to improve service delivery.
This includes digital governance, which streamlines administrative and electronic services, as well as smart cities, by harnessing technology for improved urban management.
She said the Assembly had also instituted a sustainable urban development plan through technology to promote green cities, better land use, and environmental management.
Professor Amevi Acakpovi, Acting Vice-Chancellor, ATU, said that the shift towards a digital economy demanded that engineers possessed not only technical expertise in their respective fields, but a strong foundation in digital literacy.
Addressing the unemployment challenges in engineering, he stressed, required a proactive approach that embraced the transformative power of digital technologies.
“By equipping our graduates with the skills, they need to navigate the digital landscape, we can ensure that they are not only prepared for the jobs of today but are also poised to drive the innovations of tomorrow,” he said.
Professor Raine Hermans, Dean, School of Technology and Innovations, University of Vaasa, Finland, said that the Finnish school was in talks with ATU about collaborating on exchange programmes for mutual benefit.
“There is also possibility for mobility of faculty, so we could conduct some research together because we are really interested in the rapid developments in Ghana.”
“We will explore how to apply new business models in this transformation agenda and utilise, for instance, artificial intelligence in the marketplace,” he said.
Mr Kwadwo Baah Agyeman, Chief Executive Officer, Accra Digital Centre, said the Centre had plans to establish student University AI clubs to train and help them access jobs in the sector due to its immense potential.
GNA
