R&D, SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT Policy Context The important role that industrial and scientific research as well as research and development (R&D) can play in developing a nation’s capacity and capabilities to develop advanced products and services industry and sector to facilitate its development process has been acknowledged. For most countries, investments in R&D have been identified as a precondition for a sustained socio-economic development. In both the developed and developing nation’s the driving force behind the development of high-tech industries and services targeted at the export market has been huge investments in R&D efforts. In fact, various studies have established a link between economic development and the level of investments in R&D as well as basic and applied scientific and industrial research. For example, evidence drawn from a number of countries, has established a strong link between the number of scientists and engineers involve in R&D (per million persons) and the high tech exports (in million dollars) of countries. It is acknowledged that Ghana’s research and development capacity (R&D) is limited and evidence shows that very little R&D work is being undertaken in industry and in the nation’s universities and research institutions. Most of these institutions lack the necessary capacity to conduct and engage in advanced and cutting-edge R&D work required for supporting the development of a globally competitive information, knowledge-based and high-tech export industry and services sector. In fact, evidence shows that less than 5% of the Ghana’s scientists and engineers in the universities, colleges and industries are involved in R&D. Also it has been established that linkages between industry and research institutions and universities to facilitate collaborative research and R&D work is rare. In the few cases where some R&D work is being undertaken in the nation’s universities and research institutions, they are not linked to industry. In other words, the required linkage between industry and the research institutions, that is necessary to commercially drive R&D work and its outputs is virtually non-existent in Ghana. The Policy Statement The Government acknowledges that if Ghana is to make any progress in developing a high-tech export industry, a lot of efforts will need to be directed at investing more in R&D and developing the nation’s scientific and industrial research and R&D base devoting particular attention to establishing linkages between industry and the research institutions and universities involved in R&D. As part of these efforts the need to increase the number of scientists and engineers involve in R&D work both in industry and in the universities and research institutes is also recognized. The Government is committed to promoting and supporting R&D initiatives in industry, research institutes and universities to enhance Ghana’s capacity to develop, produce, manufacture and assembly ICT products and services as a step towards developing a globally competitive ICT service sector and industry. As part of this commitment Government shall promote partnership, collaborations and linkages between local R&D Institutions and foreign Centers of Excellence to speed up the process of knowledge and know-how transfer to Ghanaians. 65