Mr Leon-Ariel Boston, an entrepreneur, and the Chief Executive Officer of MobileODT, has called on researchers in
Africa to commercialize their work, instead of concentrating on publication for academic promotion.
They could do that if Africa scholars and researchers' transit from the purely academic mind-set and embrace
entrepreneurship and market applications, he stated.
MbileODT is a leading Femtech company transforming lives and changing outcomes for women world-wide.
Mr Boston said science and technology played a crucial role in wealth creation and global advancement and
highlighted the relevance for Africa researchers and scholars to use their work to develop cost-effective technologies
that tackle societal problems.
He was speaking at a Research Commercialization Webinar, hosted by the Centre for Research in Applied Biology
(CeRAB) of the University for Energy and Natural Resources (UENR).
It was on the theme “unlocking the future of scientific innovation and commercialization for national development”
and aimed at showcasing the market potential of an on-going research at the CeRAB.
The Daily Searchlight agrees in absolute terms on the need for there to bring the theory out of the classrooms, to the
practical world on the ground to create wealth, development, advancement and jobs.
In Ghana and much of Africa, a disparity exists between what is taught in classrooms, and what happens in practice
on the ground.
Even though academia often makes great discoveries in the classroom, these solutions are unable to be transmitted
to the arena of practicality, where they can create jobs and wealth.
It is our hope that attendees to this seminar would listen to this advice in good faith, and act on same.
(Editorial of the Daily Searchlight of 27 th September, 2024)
