Group picture after the meeting
AquaBio Tech Group in Malta have visited the University to discuss collaboration with the University. Mr. George D. Mantas, Business Development Manager represented the company and met with University officials during his visit.
Welcoming him to the University, Prof. Anthony Andrew Adjei, Coordinator, Vice-Chancellor’s Strategic Teams who represented the Vice-Chancellor, expressed gratitude to Mr. Mantas for the visit, and acknowledged the other units of the University from the Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies (IESS), Department of Marine and Fisheries and Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST) for their joint effort in helping to develop the Aquaculture department.
Prof. Anthony Andrew Adjei
In brief remarks, Mr. George D. Mantas expressed immense appreciation for the positive reinforcement and looked forward to a fruitful collaboration between Management of the University and AquaBio Tech Group. He was hopeful that the purpose of the visit which is to establish a partnership, will not only be dynamic but one that will produce tangible results.
Mr. Mantas disclosed that AquaBio Tech Group is a private company established twenty-two (22) years ago with its main focus on Aquaculture and Fisheries, Aquariums and Ornamentals, Market Research and Intelligence, Marine Surveys and Remote Sensing, Technology Sourcing and Procurement, Research and Development Labs and Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS).
Mr. George D. Mantas
He added that their aim in Ghana is to prioritize high quality locally produced fingerlings to the aquaculture industry, complete training and educational packages for aquaculture or fish processing and trading related professionals, provide a state-of-the-art research infrastructure where new high-quality feed formulations could be developed utilizing locally produced protein sources including but not limited to agro-industry products; insect production and waste from the fish processing activities and to organise programmes tailored for small aquaculture producers including women and young entrepreneurs.
Dr. Samuel Addo, Head, Marine and Fisheries Department, noted that the partnership will help in setting-up West Africa Centre of Excellence for Aquaculture (WACEA) located in the School of Biological Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences whose objectives are to build capacity of both local and international postgraduate students to be entrepreneurs and employable by industry, run short professional courses and training workshops for the industry, conduct innovative and demand driven research to transform aquaculture development in Ghana and West Africa, and diversify cultured species to include marine species with Project components like the hatchery with recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), fish feed processing lab, fish disease challenge and diagnostic lab, greenhouse production facilities and mariculture lab with an estimated cost of Two Million Dollars.
Present at the meeting were Prof. Kwasi Appeaning Addo, Director, Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies (IESS) and Professor, Marine and Fisheries Department; Prof. George Oduro Nkansah, Director, Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST); Prof. Francis K.E. Nunoo, Marine and Fisheries Department and other faculty members from the Department of Marine and Fisheries, namely, Dr. Benjamin O. Botwe, Dr. Collins Prah Duodu, Dr. Winnie N.A. Sowah; Dr. Angela M. Lamptey and Dr. Lailah Gifty Akita.
