Beatrice Laryea Sep – 07 – 2023 , 15:06

Ghana has become one of the fastest rising economies in the world in digitisation and innovation, according to the 2022 Global Innovation Index (GII) from the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

The GII 2022 indicated that Ghana climbed to 95th place out of 132 economies, going up 17 places from 2021 and 13 places from 2020. In 2021, Ghana was ranked 112th among the 132 economies.

WIPO found that Ghana performed above the average for lower-middle-income economies in three areas – infrastructure, business sophistication and creative outputs – a category that included intangible assets as trademarks and goods and services.

The GII ranks world economies according to their innovation capabilities. Consisting of about 80 indicators, grouped into innovation inputs and outputs, the GII aims to capture the multi-dimensional facets of innovation.

Digital transformation

Special Advisor at the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Mr Oliver Boakye said the fact that Ghana had moved faster within the index indicated that government was seriously putting investment into the innovation ecosystem.

Mr Boakye was speaking on Wednesday at the launch of the 2023 Ghana Digital Innovation Week (GDIW) in Accra where he said that every year, the GII took several factors into consideration in determining where a country stood in the scheme of things.

CEO of Impact Investing Ghana and Atifi Sustainability Consultants, Amma Lartey (middle) and other participants at the launch of the GDIW

“First they look at the kind of investment that your country is putting in innovation and every country that has been selected on the GII is known to have invested significant portions in their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) into innovation,” he said.

“When it comes to digital transformation, I am sure we have all observed how now you don’t have to go and queue to get your passport, to clear things from the port, you don’t need to have money in your pocket all the time and still be able to transact business and so on.”

“All these are transformations that are taking place on the ground and it is because of these initiatives that we are seeing this improvement on the GII,” he added.

He assured of the MESTI’s commitment to initiate more digital innovation systems in the country in the next three years saying: “a lot will happen in this country when it comes to digital transformation and innovation.”

The dignitaries and some participants at the launch of the Ghana Digital Innovation Week

The launch was attended by members of the trilateral cooperation, including the Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Shlomit Sufa, Head of Project, Digital Transformation Centre – GIZ, Mr David Robert, Director of Research at the Ministry of Communication and Digitization, Mr. Samuel Atwi Gyakye, Council Member of Ghana Hub Network, Dr Gordon Agbodza and Head of Innovation of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme, Mr. David Ofori.

GDIW

The Ghana Digital Innovation Week is a platform to celebrate the accomplishments of Ghana’s digital innovation ecosystem and build momentum towards a common vision for its future development.

It is co-created and co-owned by a trilateral cooperation including the German Development Cooperation, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, the Ministry of Environment, Science and Innovation and the Ministry of Communication and Digitisation.

This year’s event is on the theme “Innovate, Collaborate, Elevate: Shaping a future of endless potential.”

A section of the participants at the launch

It is the third edition in Ghana and it is meant to build on better and bigger informative, educational and creative formats to engage and support all digital stakeholders.

Events

The launch officially facilitated activities leading to a three-day event to be held from Monday, November 6 to Wednesday, November 8, at the Accra International Conference Centre.

The actual Digital Innovation Week event in November will kick off with regional events in Tamale, Koforidua and Kumasi, leading up to the three-day finale in Greater Accra.

Activities lined up for the 2023 GDIW include workshops, panel discussions, exhibition and breakout sessions.