From left to right: Professor Richard Boateng of OMIS, University of Ghana Business School (Team Leader); Professor Yaw Oheneba-Sakyi, Dean, School of Continuing and Distance Education, University of Ghana; Mr De Wet Naude, SAP University Alliance Representative; Mr Gwamaka Mwalemba, ESEFA Project Representative, University of Cape Town;  Mr Patrick  Wirz, ESEFA Project Representative, University of Magdeburg, Germany; and Ms. Adelaide Asante, Representative from the  Ministry of Environment, Science , Technology & Innovation (MESTI).

The University of Ghana Technology Development and Transfer Centre (TDTC) in collaboration with SAP, a German multinational software corporation which makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations, have held an industry engagement workshop on the SAP University Alliances.

The SAP University Alliances is an academic network of faculty and students focused on innovation for the digital enterprise in order to offer opportunities to faculty and students to use their software for teaching and research.

In an address, Professor Andrew Anthony Adjei (Director of Research, ORID), said that without research no nation can develop. He therefore reiterated the need to give priority to research and technology issues, adding that technology should be used to solve problems that confronts the economy. He was hopeful that the collaboration between the two institutions would be mutually beneficial.

Mr. De Wet Naude, SAP University Alliance Representative, emphasised the importance of digital transformation.  He said that SAP strives to help customers stay abreast with the changing trends in the technology market and advised businesses to rethink the way they conduct their business in order to be relevant and adapt to suit consumers in a simpler and smarter way.

Mrs. Adelaide Asante (Project leader, Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation (MESTI) in a statement reiterated that, the Alliance programme is a platform to link technology to industry. She disclosed that some institutions which include CSIR, Atomic Energy, Telecom University, KNUST and UG have received grants to develop their technology, engage in capacity building programmes and equip students with the right skills to attract industry.

Professor Richard Boateng, Head, Department of Operations Management & Information Systems at the UG Business School and team leader for the project, said the goal of the interaction was to help faculty understand the value of their intellectual property, to improve technology and encourage innovation in the school. He noted that it was important for academia to understand these in order to engage industry effectively.

He also encouraged the University of Ghana to scale up efforts to make teaching as practical as possible by introducing the SAP University Alliances Programmes into the curriculum to equip students with the appropriate skills to make them relevant to industry.

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