Keeping Abreast Of A knowledge-Based Society

Advancement in science and technology and the liberalised regime of international trade are moving our world rapidly towards a global knowledge-based economy.

In this new era, knowledge, information, science and technology are replacing the traditional factors of production and economic development, namely, land and capital. Some call this era the “gold collar” workers, where a few creative individuals feed entire populations.

Changes in the new world are phenomenal. The advancements in science and technology have shortened the life cycle of new technologies, accelerated the fusion of different technologies, and enhanced the economic impact of basic research.

In order to reap the enormous benefit accruing, nations of the world are striving for the integration of regional markets while at the same time, accelerating efforts to develop new technologies and products, and attract multinational corporations to locate their product and research and development centres.

To catch the tidal wave for our nation's transformation, we must set an agenda that puts us on the path to becoming a science and technology-based society.

It is only then that we can achieve the total transformation of our economy and society.

A science and technology-based society is one where scientific rationalism prevails, and science and technology play the key role in national development by providing solutions to social and economic problems.

These problems include food security, housing, health care, education, employment particularly for our young population, energy and infrastructure development.

To achieve these objectives, we must pursue a set of policy programmes geared towards:

• Strengthening the innovative capabilities of industry, universities and research institutions.

• Enhancing the efficiency with which research and development resources can be allocated and utilised.

• Developing new growth technologies.

• Promoting the diffusion and utilisation of research; and

• Creating social, economic, political and cultural environments that are conducive to innovation.

The best way to meet the challenges and reap the benefits of a knowledge-based economy is to identify and develop new knowledge-based industries as engines of growth, while at the same time, helping conventional industries sustain and strengthen their competitiveness by linking them to new technologies.

To do this requires a new and more efficient system of innovation that can promote and facilitate the active creation, dispersion and utilisation of new knowledge by bringing together those with the new and innovative ideas in industries, universities and research institutions.

To promote these innovative capabilities of industry, universities and research institutions, government must:

• Promote R & D investment and enhance its efficiency. It can do this by expanding public sector investment and focusing on selected strategic areas, and minimising redundancies and/or duplication in research and development. Emphasis must also be placed on developing a system of higher education and research that can respond to the changes in the market.

• Focus our technology policy on the development of core technologies that will lead the future development of the nation.

The nature and path of global scientific and technological development must inform the identification and choice of core technologies in order to achieve results that will be translated into new growth industries.

To facilitate science-industry interface, the government must improve aspects of the financial system and technology market in a way that promotes the commercialisation of research results.

• Establish a scientific and technology information system to network all the innovative players to aid the overall planning, co-ordination and evaluation of R & D activities.

The body should be responsible for science and technology budgets, and evaluate the performance of national R & D programmes.

• Create a conducive environment in which innovation can take place. A lot of factors affect the formation of such an environment, namely, the social structure, economic system, culture and institutional framework.

To foster such an environment, the government must encourage and support the involvement of scientists and engineers in social development, while enhancing the public's understanding of science and technology by promoting the participation of citizens in the relevant policy-making process.

• Create new institutional arrangements to manage the science and technology process that is not stymied and stultified by bureaucratic inertia.

Instead of the regular ministry, it should be possible to create an Office of Science and Technology directly under, and reporting to, the Office of the President.

It should have the responsibility of advising the President on scientific and technological matters, evaluating the scale, quality and effectiveness of government policies in science and technology, and advising the President on funding for scientific research and development.

The executive director of this office is to serve as the principal scientific adviser to the President.

A co-ordinating Council for Science, Technology and Engineering made up of scientists not in government should be constituted under this office to provide the President with independent advice so that he is not entirely reliant on the director of the office in formulating policy.

Ghana must take full advantage of its growing economic dynamism and leadership role in Africa to transform itself into a hub for research and development and innovation servicing the industrial activities of the continent.

Ghana must, therefore, fashion herself as one of the best places for R & D innovation and launch a full-scale programme to attract R & D investments and operations.

Ghana must also forge collaborative partnerships with world renowned scientific institutions so as to benefit from their experience in research and to locate some of their activities in Ghana.

Ghana must also offer various fiscal, financial and institutional incentives for R & D investments.

We should provide space in free economic zones and create industrial research parks. Such incentives can include tax reduction for R & D expenditures for investment and commercialisation of new technologies and tariff exemption on the import of research equipment.

The past 50 years was an era of serious challenges. Yet, the advent of the knowledge-based society and rapid advances in science and technology, in particular bio-science and nano-science, will make the next 50 years even more challenging.

Those who are prepared to meet the challenges wisely and successfully will benefit from the developments of the knowledge-based phenomenon. Those who are not prepared will continue to fall behind.

The source of competitiveness in the knowledge-based society is science, technology and innovation, and there is no question that the key challenge for us today is to attain national competitiveness and encourage growth based on innovation.

By Boakye K. Agyarko

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