Maiden Ghana Innovation Awards comes off on November 22 at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel to celebrate pacesetters who have demonstrated the core values of innovation in all its dimensions.  The event provides an opportunity for high-performing individuals, groups, and organizations that develop innovative products, services, business models, and implement creative organizational initiatives to be acknowledged and celebrated for their achievements.  The ultimate objective of the program is to build a national initiative for innovation through national recognition, dialogue, and knowledge building and sharing. The event is organised by Nobel international Business School (NiBS), a partner of the SBS Swiss Business School, and the International Foundation for Africa Innovation (iFAI) and powered by Globe Productions and Graphic Business. The Ghana Innovation Awards will be chaired by a renowned Ghanaian scholar in innovation and Marketing Management, Prof. Kwaku Atuahene-Gima.   Nominations ended last month which saw individuals and organisations including private companies, multinational subsidiaries, not-for-profit organizations, non-government organisations, government ministries, departments and agencies in the country nominated. The Award Process will use elements of an established innovation management assessment model developed by Prof. Kwaku Atuahene-Gima which is used around the world.  Following a specific set of criteria, the model assesses individuals, teams, and organizations on the full spectrum of their innovations in products, services, and organizational initiatives, and to review their performance.  This process provides participants with the unique opportunity to benchmark themselves against the set of criteria that mark out top innovation performers globally. The awarding board is made up of experienced and distinguished local and international academics and practitioners in innovation management.  It includes Prof. Kwaku Atuahene-Gima; Emeritus Prof. Thomas Hustad, Founder of JPIM; Prof. Gloria Barczak, immediate past Editor-in-Chief of JPIM; Dr Hod Anyigba, Aggregate Prof. at NiBS; Prof. Elko Kleinschmidt, Emeritus Professor, McGill University; Prof. Haiyang Li, Professor of Strategy and Innovation, Rice University. It also includes Dr George Manu, KPMG, East Africa; Kofi Kwakwa, CEO SageVest Holdings; Prof. John Meewella,  Group CEO of MiNiSV Mini Silicon Valley Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Nanjing, China, former Professor of Entrepreneurship, Oulu Business School, Finland. Other board members are Bright Simmons, CEO mPedigree, and Prof. Per Jenster, Vice President, NiBS; former Professor of Strategy, CEIBS and Chairman of Niche Masters Fund and Baltic Property Trust. The Awards Categories National Awards for the Year in the following areas: Outstanding Corporate Innovator, Outstanding Government Innovation, Outstanding Public Sector Innovation, Promising Innovative Company (less than 5 years old), Innovative CEO; Innovative CMO, Promising Innovative CEO of the Year (Under 40 years), Innovative CFO, Promising Innovative Entrepreneur (Under 40 years), Innovative Entrepreneur, Innovative Social Entrepreneur, Innovative Minister; Innovative Radio Presenter; etc. Innovative Company of the Year will also be recognised in their respective sectors. This sector ranges from media, hospitality, sanitation, telecom, banking, shipping, pharmaceutical, Agribusiness, General Insurance and Life Insurance. Innovative Product/Service/Project of the Year will also be awarded for various feats in respective sectors.