The document discusses Innovate Ghana, an annual competition that aims to promote critical thinking and practical problem solving among Ghanaian youth. It does this through a series of challenges where students develop solutions to national problems in areas like agriculture, sanitation, and community development. The competition provides training in STEM skills and connects students with mentors and potential employers. Over the years it has equipped over 130 students with design, manufacturing and business skills while generating innovative ideas and placing some students in jobs. The 2018 challenge will focus on generating proposals for factories outlined in Ghana's 'One District, One Factory' initiative.

1. PROMOTING CRITICAL THINKING AND PRACTICAL PROBLEM
SOLVING SKILLS THROUGH COMPETITION

2. Ghana
We
Want
Jobs
Technology &
Innovation
Industrialization
Macroeconomic
stability
Well-being of
citizens

3. Driving Industrialization
Infrastructure
(Energy, Transport,
Ports, etc)
Education & Skills
Exports
Investment /
Business Climate
SME development

4. We lack critical STEM skills needed for industrialization
…
Poor implementation of policies that promote STEM
Lower proportion of STEM Graduates to Humanities and Arts graduates
Too much theory vs practical education
Poor perception of TVET education, quality of graduates
Fewer job opportunities and non-competitive salaries for some
industries
Low collaboration between public and private sector on STEM education
Inadequate STEM role models

5. What are we doing about it?

6. Innovate Ghana is an annual competition and training
workshop that seeks to combat unemployment among
Ghanaian youth by teaching them to utilize Design, STEM and
entrepreneurial skills to solve national development problems.
It is a program of GREMKAY International, LLC (US) and
subsidiary company GREMKAY International (Ghana) Limited.

7. 3 Pillars
Ideate
• Inspire innovation
through competition
Create
• Develop products and
solutions for national
development
Develop
• Nurture and grow youth
skills in engineering,
design, manufacturing &
entrepreneurship

8. Held with 50 students attending
the 2 weeks workshop at the
Takoradi polytechnic. Product
concepts included agricultural
aids, building materials, products
for transportation industry, and
more.
2013 Challenge:
Designing Products
from Recycled Plastic
Waste
Held with 20 students from the
the University of Ghana, Kwame
Nkrumah University of Science &
Technology, GIMPA and others.
Concepts included on collapsible
isolation units for Ebola victims,
customized shipping container
units and more.
2014 Challenge:
Designing low-cost
isolation units for
rural/urban settings
Held with 60+ students
from the University of
Ghana, Ashesi University
and the University of
Mines, Tarkwa. Winning
concepts included sewage
disposal systems, waste
disposal bins with sorting
compartments, and
recycling ATMs
2015 Challenge:
Developing our Water
and Sanitation
Infrastructure
The first ever high school
challenge with students from
over 7 high schools – Wesley
Girls, Ola, Prempeh College,
Adisadel College, Presec, etc.,
focused on solutions for
community development.
Concepts included programs for
senior citizens, literacy, health
products, energy, and others
Farm Tools Challenge
Concepts included on 4 key
products to drive agricultural
innovation – irrigation, solar
drying, seed planters and urban
farms using soiless media
2016 Challenges:
High School Challenge
The second Hich School
Challenge focused on
STEM as an enabler to
innovation. Concepts
included power
generators, educational
games and apps,
agricultural processes for
cocoyam propagule
development and more
2017 Challenge:
High School Challenge
Annual Design Challenge

9. MAKING STEM FUN THROUGH COMPETITION

12. FIELDTRIPS

13. TECHNICALTRAINING

14. MENTORS

15. PROTOYPES

16. PROTOYPES

17. PROTOYPES

18. PROTOYPES

19. Impact
Students from over 10
institutions (high school,
tertiary)
130+ students equipped with
skills in design, manufacturing,
business
7 students placed in
employment opportunities
35 innovative ideas from both
high school and tertiary events
ImpactIMPACT

20. AET President
ONE DISTRICT
ONE FACTORY
2018 Challenge
Designed by Macrovector / Freepik

21. For more information, find us online:
 Web: www.innovategh.com
 Facebook: www.facebook.com/innovategh
 Twitter: @innovateghana

22. BACKUP

23. ONE DISTRICT ONE FACTORY
• In 2016, H.E. The President, Nana Akuffo-Addo announced a plan to
develop one factory in each of Ghana’s 216 districts. These factories are
intended to spur on economic transformation through industrialization.
• According to the Minister designate for Trade and Industry, Mr Alan
Kyeremanten, the program’s goals are “first to create massive employment
all over the country and secondly to add value to [Ghana’s] natural
resource base.”
• In 2017, the Innovate Ghana Competition will be held in collaboration with
CSIR, to generate viable proposals from citizens for promising enterprises /
factories within their districts. Ideal proposals will receive technical
assistance from CSIR, and will be evaluated for implementation within
CSIR’s mandate.

24. PROPOSALS
• Proposals must:
Describe in detail the type of product to be produced (can be accompanied
by illustration if applicable)
Processes and equipment required to produce
Describe the target market for the product
Identify what local resources within the district will be utilized in
production and what external resources are required
Identify costs of production and finances required for production
Describe the social, environmental and economic impacts of production
(especially within the district)

25. ELIGIBILITY
• The competition will be open to Ghanaian individuals or teams of no
more than 3. Students and graduates with projects, early stage
entrepreneurs (excluding established corporations) are encouraged to
apply.
• Applicants should:
Demonstrate entrepreneurship and innovation
Be locally-driven or locally-led
Deliver economic, social and environmental benefits
Meet district-specific need

26. CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
• First round selection
• The first round of selection of proposals be completed in March 2018 following two workshops at:
 Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi: 3-day workshop on January 7-10, 2018
 University of Ghana in Legon: 2-day intensive workshop at on January 19-20, 2018.
 Selected applicants will be notified via their e-mails and will also be posted on the website and social media pages of
Innovate Ghana.
•
• Final round selection
• First round finalists will be required to develop detailed business plans, market research, and may also be required to
attend interim workshops between March and August to further refine their ideas. The finalists will have the chance to
pitch their final proposals to a panel of experts who will crown the winners in a final award ceremony in August, 2018.