Projects

HEPSSA Project (Royal Academy of Engineers, UK)

TCC in collaboration with 5 universities from Ghana, two partner universities from the UK, and five industry partners from Ghana seeks to sharpen the design and manufacturing skills of 32 engineering students per year to increase their employability.

 

REP Project

 

 

 

 

 

 

TCC successfully carried out research into the Kente cloth value chain in Ghana. The project was financed by the Rural Enterprises Programme of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ghana.

SDF Project

TCC is in the process of upgrading its prototype and digital manufacturing capabilities, supported partially by the Skills Development Fund in Accra. Three of such equipment have already been installed and more are expected and planned for the future.

IDIN Project

At the end of September 2017, which falls within the period under review, the International Development Innovation Network (IDIN) programme, in which the TCC was involved, came successfully to an end. The TCC-IDIN Project was a US$400,000, 3-year, USAID-funded cooperation agreement with a goal “To create and build a global network to change-makers that enables the design, development, and dissemination of innovations that address key development challenges associated with poverty while building capacity in communities for local innovation and creative problem-solving”.  IDIN itself is a consortium of universities including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, the University of California-Davis, USA, the University of São Paulo, Brazil, the TCC of the KNUST, Ghana, among others. Other significant achievements of the IDIN-TCC project over its 3-year period include the following:

• More than 40 undergraduate and post-graduate students of the College of Engineering, KNUST were supported with IDIN funds to undertake research projects that would improve the lives and livelihoods of people living in poverty.

 

• IDIN-MIT supported the Ghana Engineering Students Association (GESA) and Creativity Group, all of the College of Engineering with over USD 20,000 to organize annual engineering students’ competitions.
• Provision of tools and equipment for the Cookstove Testing and Expertise Laboratory (C-Lab) and the Suame ITTU
• Funded the renovation of the building housing the C-Lab.

 

National Commission on Culture Project

Under this project, the TCC has been contracted to produce and install ceramic processing equipment at four locations in the country on behalf of the National Commission on Culture. The original value of the contract is GHS98,000. The equipment installation process is complete but training at two of the locations is still pending.

 

Kenyase Number 3 Cassava Processing Group Project

The above group is receiving support from UNDP for the construction of gari processing equipment by TCC’s Intermediate Technology Transfer Unit (ITTU) and a structure to house the machines. The Asutifi District Assembly (Brong-Ahafo) Common Fund is supporting the training component, of which the TCC is in charge. The equipment has been delivered to the site and the training component will follow immediately after the installation of these machines. 

 

Affordable Design and Entrepreneurship (ADE) Project

ADE is a collaborative project between the TCC and Professor Ben Linder of Olin College of the USA. It involves the development of mini cassava graters and presses. The TCC is hosting the project at the Suame ITTU. A framework for expanding the collaboration is being worked out in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under which Olin College Professors will avail themselves to strengthen the staff capacity in soft skills such as human-centered design and other areas to benefit the College of Engineering.

 

Facilitation of Student Internships

Year after year, the TCC continues to leverage its industrial connections to facilitate student practical training. In July this year, the TCC received and distributed a total of 30 KNUST students among its clientele base in Suame Magazine and other locations in Kumasi, to support student practical-attachment programmes in the Colleges.

 

Technology Park Proposal

A draft proposal drawn by the TCC for creating an extensive technology park for the KNUST worth over US$ 25,000,000 has been sent to the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI) for them to help in facilitating sourcing of funding. In April 2018 an internal stakeholders’ workshop was successfully held at the KNUST to receive input from the various Colleges into the draft proposal.

 

TCC – MIT International Development Innovation Network (IDIN) Project (2012-2017)

Description: The International Development Innovation Network is part of the Higher Education Solutions Network (HESN), a ground breaking partnership between USAID and top US and foreign Universities committed to development innovative solutions to global development challenges. IDIN is run by a consortium of universities including MIT, USA; Olin College of Engineering, USA; Colorado State University, USA; University of California-Davis, USA; University of São Paulo, Brazil; and Technology Consultancy Centre (TCC), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. In implementing IDIN, TCC will set up Innovation Centre at the ITTU and a rural community in Ghana.

 

TCC – University of Pennsylvania (UPENN) International Development Summer Institute Africa Program (IDSI –AP).(Ongoing).

Description: In collaboration with Penn-Engineering and Africa Centre of University of Pennsylvania (PENN), the TCC co-hosted for the third time the International Development Summer Institute (IDSI) class of 2013 from May 13 to June 9, 2013. In this program, seven (7) KNUST undergraduate students comprising 5 females and 2 males were interviewed, competitively selected and provided with stipends to join 14 undergraduate students from UPENN, USA. The program provides students with the opportunity to have applied learning and cross-cultural experience. It also gives students the chance to apply classroom learning in the field and gain some insight into the world of international development.

 

Community needs assessment and evaluation work in the Chirano Gold mines catchment communities, Western Region, Ghana (Sept. 2012- Jan. 2013)

Description:This involves literature review, classification and packaging of community needs, assessment of socio-economic factors, assessment of impacts of mining activities on catchment communities and organization of stakeholders workshops.

 

Needs assessment for capacity development of metal workers and agricultural mechanization workers of clusters in the Kumasi metropolis (Oct. 2010-Jan. 2011)

Description: Survey of 510 small and medium-scale metal workers and agricultural mechanization in Kumasi using structured questionnaires; data entry; processing; development of data base; analysis and report writing.

 

Use of jatropha plant to improve sustainable renewable energy development and create income-generating activities: an integrated approach to ensure sustainable livelihood conditions and mitigate land degradation effects in rural areas in Ghana (Aug. 2009 - Dec. 2013)

Description: Processing, extraction and testing of jatropha oil to produce electricity, cooking, lighting and making soap. Collection of baseline data, data analysis and report writing and quality assurance.

 

Design, development and prototype production of equipment for household and small scale processing of soybean and groundnut and technical support to selected pilot villages in the use of the equipment produced (Dec. 2003 - Jun. 2007)

Description: The food crops development project, which is an initiative of the ministry of agriculture and the African development bank, contracted the center to design, develop and produce prototype equipment for household and small scale enterprises to improve income levels and food security situations in selected pilot villages. The center was charged with the transfer of the technology to the selected pilot villages and to test and ascertain cultural appropriateness, financial and technical viability of the machines produced and processing technology.

 

Technical training of six 50-member farmer-based organizations FBOs in the Ejura/sekyedomase District, Ashanti Region (Feb. 2010 - Mar. 2010)

Description: Prepared training programme, organized and facilitated training, carried out follow-ups visits of farms of participants to offer practical advice and ensure that knowledge acquired during training are practiced in their farms.

 

Commercial and business training of six 50-member Farmer-based organization FBOs in Ejura/sekyedomase District, Ashanti Region (Oct. 2009 - Nov. 2009)

Description: Assignment involved training of 50-member Farmer-based organization FBOs in ashiakoko, saboline, sirkyikura, bobbin, woraso and garikabrom in group organization, development of business vision and learning to use realistic business planning tools. The aim of the training was to strengthen the business capacity of the FBOs.

 

Technical training of six 50-member farmer-based organizations FBOs in the Sekyere Central District of Ashanti Region (Nov. 2009 - Dec. 2009)

Description: Training of six 50-member farmer-based organizations FBOs in Atonsu, Kyebi, Asuafo, Achiase and Kwamang in best farming practices for the cultivation of cassava and yam, and maize. The aim of the training was to strengthen the technical capacity of the FBOs.

 

Baseline study to assess the technological capacity of Soya Bean processing industry in Ghana Kumasi (Jan.2004 – Mar. 2004)

Description: Project involved the identification of SMEs engaged in soya bean processing and type of technologies employed. The objective was to use the survey data as a guide for the development of local technologies for soya bean processing.

 

Training of District Assembly staff in planning and implementation of projects in five district assemblies in the Northern Region of Ghana. (2006)

 

Identification, animation and training of community based organization (CBO) in micro enterprise and financial management (2002).

 

Establishment of resource Centre for employable skills in Ahafo Ano North District (1999).

 

Training of women’s group in use of TCC’S improved Shea butter processing technology at Gbimsi, West Mamprusi district. (Nov. 2000)

 

Training of women’s group at Gbimsi, west Mamprusi District in the extraction of jatropha oil for use as diesel and kerosene substitutes, (Nov. 2000).

 

Training of women’s group in the use of TCC’s improved technology for the extraction of coconut oil at Asarfa, central region. (May 2001)

 

Training of women’s group in soap and pomade production at Mampong and Afrancho, Ashanti region. (Mar. 1999)