The United Kingdom’s foreign secretary launched a joint science and innovation strategy with Ghana at the start of a whistle-stop tour of three African nations this week.
James Cleverly (pictured) unveiled the UK-Ghana Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy 2023-2027 during a visit to Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in Accra on 31 July.
Showcasing the UK’s commitment to transformative science, innovation and technology to find new solutions to shared challenges, Cleverly said the strategy will promote collaboration in ICT, frontier technology, pharmaceuticals and other sectors.
The strategy says it aims to “increase the number, quality and impact of UK-Ghana ST&I partnerships” and that “poor knowledge and coordination” can result in missed opportunities.
The strategy “will strengthen health security, create new investment opportunities, and keep Ghana and the UK at the forefront of global life science priorities such as eradicating malaria,” the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office tweeted.
Cleverly’s four-day tour also took him to Nigeria and Zambia. He announced ahead of the tour that he wanted the UK’s partnerships with African countries to be increasingly future-focused and mutually beneficial.
Visiting Nigeria’s biggest city on 1 August, he called Lagos “a thriving hub of science, technology and innovation”, adding: “We will work with our partners to commercialise scientific knowledge. Public-private partnerships and an open approach to science make the spread of innovation easier and the work of pioneers more accessible.”
Noting that the “tectonic plates of world politics are shifting decisively”, Cleverly expressed the need for permanent African representation on the United Nations Security Council, as well as the need for the African Union to become a member of the G20 so that African countries are appropriately recognised in international organisations.
But security and prosperity rely on scientific innovation, he said. “The UK government recognises the need for investment in science and technology. That’s why we plan to expand our science and technology partnerships.”
Source: Research Professional News
