The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), has unveiled the E4Impact Ghana Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centre to support entrepreneurship and innovation within its student community.
The launch brought together entrepreneurs, start-ups, investors, and student innovators, highlighting growing institutional and development partner interest in building a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem in Ghana.
The Centre is expected to serve as a platform for innovation, skills development, and enterprise creation, while supporting UPSA’s broader objective of linking academic training more closely to practical business development.
Speaking at the launch, Vice-Chancellor Prof. John Kwaku Mensah Mawutor described the initiative as a “dream come true” and said it was not only about “inaugurating a centre,” but also about “redefining” teaching, learning, and opportunity creation within the university’s academic environment.
He said the Centre reflects a shift from “knowledge acquisition” to “value creation,” with a stronger focus on preparing students to translate ideas into viable economic opportunities.
Italian Ambassador to Ghana, Laura Ranalli, said the initiative would serve as a “gateway to new opportunities” and help equip graduates with 21st-century skills needed to participate in a technology-driven global economy.
Emanuela Forcella, Director of the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development, said the programme is expected to support more than 500 small and medium-sized enterprises, improve the skills of over 4,600 young people, and create at least 1,600 decent jobs.
A representative of the European Union Delegation to Ghana, Timothy Dolan, described the Centre as a “concrete example” of the Team Europe approach, pointing to its expected impact on students, entrepreneurs, and businesses.
The establishment of the Centre adds to efforts to strengthen entrepreneurship support systems in higher education and improve access to innovation-driven opportunities for young people.
The initiative reinforces UPSA’s commitment to bridging academia and industry while creating an enabling environment for enterprise development and student-led innovation.
