KNUST seeks to move Ghana from importing to building scientific instruments

Ghana is planning to transition from reliance on imported scientific instruments to developing local capacity in building and maintaining advanced technologies, according to a statement from the Ghana Photonics and Optics Laboratory (GPOL). The laboratory, set to be launched at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) on September 22, aims to train African scientists in photonics—the study of using light to measure, image and sense.

GPOL's establishment seeks to address a broader scientific infrastructure gap by developing the people and institutional knowledge required to construct and adapt sophisticated instruments for Ghanaian and African needs. The lab will enable Ghanaian researchers and students to undertake advanced optics research locally, addressing critical applications in medicine authentication, disease screening, environmental monitoring, and more.

These light-based technologies can detect substandard or falsified medicines, identify diseases like glaucoma and newborn jaundice, and assess heavy metals in soil and water. GPOL's development is led by researchers from KNUST's Department of Physics, with support from international partners and participation from African, European, and North American scientists.

The inaugural NYANSAPƆ Photonics School for Health and Safety, scheduled during the laboratory's commissioning, will provide hands-on training in photonic instruments, ensuring local expertise. The program's long-term goal is to transform Ghana into a hub for photonics innovation, moving from dependence on imported technology to a self-sustaining field of scientific and technical capacity.