Accra: Dr. Norbert Schultes, Head of the National Contact Point for Twinning, TAIEX, and Institutional Partnerships, has praised the collaboration between Ghanaian and German institutions for significantly advancing Ghana’s capacity in sustainable construction, standardization, and innovation. Speaking at a symposium on Science-Based Innovation for Robust Construction Materials in Ghana, he highlighted the fruitful partnership between the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ghana’s Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, and the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) as foundational for long-term cooperation.
According to Ghana News Agency, the partnership involves collaboration with DIN, the German Standardisation Body, DIBt, the German government authority on the construction sector, and PTB, the German national metrology institute. The symposium, themed ‘Accelerating National Development of Quality Construction through Standardization and Quality Assurance Processes,’ underscored the importance of institutional partnerships that allow government agencies from different countries to work together on equal terms to improve institutional frameworks.
The collaboration aims to strengthen Ghana’s public testing laboratories in the construction materials and chemicals sector, focusing on areas such as sustainable cement binders and organic chemical admixtures for concrete. The objective is to enhance testing standards, promote sustainable construction practices, and foster innovation through technical collaboration and capacity building. Dr. Schultes emphasized the need for construction materials to meet safety standards to ensure public health and safety, warning against the risks of non-compliant products.
Significant progress has been made in upgrading laboratory infrastructure, developing training programs, and enhancing standardization processes. Key equipment such as fume hoods, platinum crucibles, and hot plates have been procured, and GSA staff have received hands-on training in Germany. The project has also supported the development of performance-based standards for cement and chemical admixtures, promoting the use of clinker substitution and calcined clay.
Inclusive development has been a focus, with initiatives like Girls STEM Day and gender equity workshops promoting the role of women in science and engineering. A ‘Practical Handbook for Safe, Smart and Durable Construction in Ghana’ was developed to guide safe and sustainable practices for informal construction artisans and workers. Additionally, the partnership has explored digital quality control systems and the use of local materials like calcined clay in cement production.
Prof. Alex Dodoo, Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority, emphasized that standardization must be accompanied by robust quality assurance processes, including testing, inspection, certification, and continuous monitoring. These processes ensure that compliance is not just theoretical but practiced on the ground. He stressed that construction is about trust, built on science-based standards that guide material production, structure design, and quality assurance.
Prof. Dodoo affirmed the GSA’s commitment to ensuring that all construction materials conform to both national and international standards, which in turn prevents building collapses, builds investor confidence, improves public safety, and drives innovation. He praised the strategic international partnerships with Germany, facilitated by institutions like BAM (Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing), for supporting scientific innovation, technical training, and policy alignment in quality infrastructure.
With support from the German Government and platforms like Twinning and TAIEX, the cross-pollination of ideas and methodologies has raised the bar for construction quality in Ghana, Prof. Dodoo concluded.