Dr. Thomas Mensah Launches Silicon Valley of Ghana

A Ghanaian-American fibre optics inventor, Dr. Thomas Mensah, has officially launched the Silicon Valley of Ghana at the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (GI-KACE) in Accra on January 15, 2018. The Silicon Valley of Ghana is under the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Dr. Mensah, the founder and chairman of the Silicon Valley of Ghana chose GI-KACE as the venue for the launch because 'it is packed with the brainpower to support the Silicon Valley of Ghana in bridging the technology gap of the country' he said.

As the Board chairman of the Silicon Valley of Ghana, the renowned inventor disclosed that membership of the Board included Ghanaian expatriates in the diaspora who are desirous in the technological advancement of the development of Ghana.

Among the Board of Advisors Dr. Mensah disclosed are Dr. Victor Lawrence (Stevens University), Dr. Michael Ansah (VP Dell UK), Dr. Isaiah Blankson (Hypersonic Expert, NASA), Prof. Obiri Danso (Vice chancellor KNUST), Prof. Gabriel Ayum Teye (Vice Chancellor UDS), Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, (Vice Chancellor UCC), Dr. Frimpong Boateng (Minister Science and Innovation), Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng (Minister Trade and Industry), Cecilia Dapaah (Minister for Aviation), Mr. Osafo Marfo (Senior minister), Mrs. Ursula Owusu Ekuful (Minister for Communications), Fernando Hernandez (Microsoft), Robert Bobby Satcher (Astronaut) and Mr. Kwasi Adu-Gyan, Director General of Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence.

The renowned inventor, Dr. Mensah indicated that GI-KACE will be the pivot around which the Silicon Valley of Ghana will revolve, and serves as the link for both the universities and research institutions in Ghana with industrial corporations, advanced research centres' and other “Tech giants”.

The innovation and competency centres which will link up with the GI-KACE according to Dr. Mensah include the University of Ghana, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and technology, University of Development Studies and the University of Cape Coast.

He said the innovation and competency centres' will work with industries and academia to create ICT products and services in Ghana. “We have a lot to do and I think GI-KACE being the technology hub will get us there.” Dr. Mensah noted.

The venture he said will also include the development of Telemedicine platform for Ghana whereby Physicians from Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, and Cape Coast University Hospital will use Broadband Technology to connect with Doctors in Universities in the USA such as John Hopkins and Universities in England and Germany to look at complex medical diagnostics.

The GI-KACE has already positioned itself with its state-of-the art research facilities for ICT product and services, packed with intellectual Experts who are researching into Cloud Computing, and with a new strategic focus, setting up a state-of-the-art software development facilities as well as VLSI Embedded facility. Dr. Mensah assured his readiness to working hand in hand with GI-KACE to manufacture products and services essential in driving internet of things such as drones, smart phones, to Support Telemedicine Platform and Advanced Transportation in Ghana.

According to Dr. Mensah, the Silicon Valley of Ghana will create business accelerators and incubators that can compete with tech-companies around the world, move Ghana into the 21st Century technological advancement and also support the high Speed Bullet Train that is being developed in Ghana.

He continued that creation of these innovation centres' with business accelerators will, however, create industries and job opportunities for graduates and encourage them to stay and work in Ghana to reduce the issue of human capital flight by helping them to retain the best and brightest individuals to stay home and help improve the nation.

Dr. Mensah, who created the Silicon Valley of the South in the USA, said he will use the same methodology with the GI-KACE as the hub to link all the Universities and other higher Technological institutions to develop advanced things just like they do in America.

GI-KACE being the hub of the innovation centres, according to Dr Mensah, would work hand in hand with Microsoft-based industries and leading universities as they collaborate to enhance the competitiveness of Ghana in the world of global technology and commerce.

The Chairman and Founder of the Silicon Valley of Ghana appointed the Director General of the Ghana India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT as a member of the Advisory Board.