Research and innovation services hub and a web 3.0 company, Heritors Labs Limited, in collaboration with its partner RISA Fund, have held a stakeholder roundtable session towards the formation of a coalition to promote quality and standards across the domestic research and industrial ecosystem.

The Ghana Quality Infrastructure Alliance (GQIA) will provide the requisite influence and support towards the effective implementation of the National Quality Policy, a critical component for advancing research commercialization, industrial competitiveness and consumer safety.

Membership of the Alliance is open to both public and private business institutions but it will be private sector-driven. It is an initiative of Heritors Labs that is being spearheaded by the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) and supported by the Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) Fund and its development partners.

Chief Executive Officer of Heritors Labs, Mr. Derrydean Dadzie, remarked: “This Alliance will provide the right mix of expertise; insights and innovative approaches towards the formulation and refinement of standards to foster innovation ensure consumer safety and promote international trade.

As facilitators, enablers and innovation intermediaries, Heritors Labs is poised to keep the wheel of quality standards constantly moving in the direction that bring value to all stakeholders.”

The meeting, held at the Fiesta Royale Hotel in Accra on February 22, 2024, was comprised of representatives from key state agencies and private business associations including the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), the Private Enterprises Federation (PEF), Ghana National Accreditation Service (GHAS) and the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA).

Other institutions that took part in the meeting were the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), University of Ghana and the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs.

Chief Executive Officer of AGI, Seth Twum Akwaboah, indicated: “It is important for businesses to understand the need for quality because it provides high level of assurance to consumers. For industry and businesses, it is even more critical within the context of AfCFTA.

Although the single continental market allows duty-free, quota-free access to markets across the continent, quality and standards are key considerations for businesses seeking to enter foreign markets across Africa.”

Heritors Labs is an awardee of the RISA Fund, a multi-country project funded by the UK through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to support research and innovation systems strengthening in Africa.

In line with the goal of the Fund, the company has been tasked to boost the commercialization of research and innovation in Ghana through deepening access to research and innovation programmes and building a robust infrastructure for the communication, advocacy and marketing of research and innovation outcomes.