The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research is ramping up efforts to move its innovations from the laboratory to the marketplace, as part of a renewed push to strengthen agro-processing value chains and drive job creation.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Friday, Acting Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, disclosed that the Council has established a dedicated commercialisation directorate to accelerate market uptake of technologies and products developed across its 13 institutes.
According to the Minister, the new directorate is tasked with deploying effective marketing strategies, deepening partnerships with private sector actors, and enhancing institutional capacity in business development and industry engagement.
“This structure is expected to accelerate the transition of CSIR’s innovations from laboratory development to market deployment,” he told lawmakers.
He noted that CSIR is actively collaborating with commercial players, small and medium-sized enterprises, and agro-processors to upscale production, broaden distribution networks, and integrate farmers and marketers into strengthened value chains.
The Council has also signed Memoranda of Understanding with private farms and industry partners to embed research outputs directly into commercial operations.
Beyond product development, CSIR is rolling out training programmes for small-scale processors in post-harvest handling, food safety compliance, packaging, and product development — measures aimed at boosting enterprise sustainability and employment opportunities.
Highlighting tangible outcomes, the Minister cited products such as “Prekese syrup” and “Prue gari,” which have already been successfully commercialised. The Council has further intensified public engagement through food fairs, exhibitions, and open days designed to attract investors and policymakers.
The expanded commercialisation drive, undertaken in line with the CSIR Act, 1996 (Act 521), is expected to enhance food and nutrition security while fostering stronger business linkages across Ghana’s agricultural sector.
