The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), through its Institute of Industrial Research (IIR), has begun construction on the Integrated Industry Training, Entrepreneurship and Database Hub (ITAED‑HUB), a project designed to equip Ghanaian youth with practical industrial skills and spur entrepreneurship.

In a statement issued by the Public Relations and Communications Update of the Ministry of Trade, on Thursday 18, June, 2026, it stated that the project is funded by a grant under the Skills Initiative for Africa (SIFA), managed by AUDA‑NEPAD and financed by Germany’s KfW Development Bank, the Hub aims to strengthen Ghana’s technical and vocational training ecosystem and support industrial expansion.

Delivering the keynote address at the sod‑cutting ceremony, the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu‑Adjare, described ITAED‑HUB as a major investment in the country’s industrial and human‑capital development.

She cited a 2025 UNICEF and Ghana TVET Service study that found only 24% of surveyed TVET institutions offer exclusively competency‑based training, highlighting a skills mismatch the Hub seeks to address.

The facility will offer industry‑focused training in automotive technology, mechatronics, and CAD/CNC/3D digital manufacturing.

It will also maintain a database tracking labour‑market needs and skills demand to keep training aligned with industry requirements.

Hon. Ofosu‑Adjare praised CSIR‑IIR for securing the competitive continental grant and thanked the German government, AUDA‑NEPAD, AGI and CTVET for their support.

She urged industries, engineering firms, workshops and technology companies to partner with the Hub by shaping curricula, providing attachments and hiring graduates.

CSIR Director‑General, Prof. Paul P. Bosu, also said the ITAED‑HUB will bridge research, skills development and industry, creating opportunities for youth while boosting the competitiveness and productivity of Ghanaian firms.

He reiterated that the Hub is expected to become a centre of excellence for industrial skills training, entrepreneurship and innovation, contributing to youth employment, industrial growth and Ghana’s long‑term economic development.