The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has revitalized its Commercialization Directorate which shut down in 2015 and now appointed a new director to lead the initiative, focusing on a vision for sustainable growth.
The revamped Commercialization Directorate is expected to adopt new marketing principles and innovations to enhance sustainable growth, guided by its newly appointed director, Mrs. Naomi Owusu Appiah, who comes on board with extensive expertise in commercialization, marketing and business development.
Mrs. Appiah, who brings a wealth of marketing experience, envisions transforming the Directorate into a center of excellence that drives innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurship to create sustainable economic value for the Council.
Professor Paul P. Bosu, the Director-General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, administered both the oath of office and the oath of secrecy to Mrs. Appiah. Mrs. Appiah pledged to serve, uphold, and defend the Constitution of Ghana as established by law.
She also affirmed her commitment to confidentiality, stating that she would not disclose any information acquired in the course of her duties unless explicitly permitted by law.
This pledge underscores her dedication to maintaining the integrity and trust placed in her role, guaranteeing that sensitive institutional information is handled with the utmost discretion and in compliance with legal requirements.
In her address, Mrs. Appiah expressed profound gratitude to the many distinguished individuals who have shaped her professional journey as she assumes her new role.
She acknowledged the contributions of numerous mentors, including Prof. Paul Bosu, Prof. Victor Agyeman, and Dr. Mrs. Pearl Adu-Amankwah, and underscored the significance of collaboration in her career development.
Reflecting on the evolution of the commercialization arm of CSIR, Mrs. Appiah highlighted the challenges faced since the introduction of commercialization mandates by the 1996 Act of Parliament, which requires CSIR institutes to generate 30 per cent of their recurrent expenditure.
Mrs. Appiah highlighted various achievements in areas such as pozzolana cement production and packaged food sales, while acknowledging the ongoing difficulties in reaching targeted revenue due to high operational costs.
Outlining her strategic vision, Mrs. Appiah presented four key pillars aimed at enhancing CSIR’s commercial viability:
- Restructuring Business Operations: Fostering a more independent and robust entity through comprehensive operational restructuring.
- Innovative Marketing Strategies: Implementing a four-stage approach encompassing product development, incubation, business development, and the establishment of companies with private investors.
- Securing Sustainable Financial Resources: Addressing the critical challenge of securing sustainable financial resources by proposing the establishment of a dedicated bank account for commercialization activities to promote transparency and efficiency. Her vision includes collaboration with private sector partners and securing project grants to diversify funding sources.
- Building a Strong, Ethically Driven Team: Enhancing the capabilities and roles of commercialization staff across all 13 CSIR institutes, fostering collaboration with the Corporate Affairs Division to boost visibility and efficiency.
Mrs. Appiah pledged to advance the directorate’s mission, goal and objectives by promoting a culture of integrity and collaboration, ensuring the Council’s commercialization directorate’s success in the evolving landscape.
The new director made a clarion call to CSIR management, staff, and the business community to support the commercialization drive. She urged stakeholders to invest in market-ready products and services that will benefit both CSIR and the wider Ghanaian economy.
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Act of 1996 (Act 521) mandates the Council to generate 30 per cent of its recurrent expenditure, underscoring the need for innovative market principles.
The restructuring will re-align the commercialization directorate to focus on key areas such as industry engagement, technology transfer, marketing, and innovation management of scientific outcome of products and services.
In his address, Professor Bosu highlighted the significant efforts and initiatives that led to the revitalization of the directorate, describing it as a remarkable achievement of the CSIR management and governing board.
He emphasized the CSIR’s unwavering commitment to supporting the commercialization of its products, which include oil palm seeds, coconut seedlings, prekese syrup, and various other products and services produced by the council.
He noted that CSIR had multiple products and services at different development stages that required innovative business strategies to reach both the local and international markets.
He was optimistic that changes in the Commercialization Directorate would boost Ghana’s economic growth through innovation and technology transfer. Prof. Bosu expressed confidence in the new director’s ability to improve marketing of the council’s products and services, and pledged support for her success.
Source : Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
