Photo credits: Thomas Ecke
Business & Innovation
Beyond the buzzwords of Industry 4.0, Internet of Things or Big Data: these terms are standard in the discussion of how new technologies will change our daily life, particularly in the context of work. But simply name dropping doesn't really help us to understand what and exactly how technology is changing our world of work.
The types of careers and career development are influenced by the possibilities given to us by technologies, in striving for a work-life balance and the wish for co-working and alternative places of work. From video conference tools to websites and software, technology is enabling new forms of collaboration which makes cooperative project work with participants located all across the world easier and more realistic. How will technology steer and transform future means of cooperation? What is the future of professional collaboration?
This Track is all about the future of work, digital economy, new business models, and the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in our societies. We want to know: How is innovation changing the way we travel and trade? What could future means of cooperation be? Is digitization really helping economies leapfrog? We want to talk about platform economy and startup scenes - especially their impact on social sectors and the delivery of public services - but also about the effects of automation, the Internet of Things, entrepreneurial culture and its effects on society.
We are interested in hearing reports, analyses, research findings or other data driven reflections on these topics.
- Business & Innovation-We know that our mental, emotional, and physical health are all tied together - but often we only treat one at a time. Join us for a music therapy session, featuring traditional Ghanaian instruments, to explore the role music can play in improving health.
- Business & Innovation-Mental health in sub-Saharan Africa is one of the top emerging focus areas for public health professionals. But how do we offer mental health services that can bypass cultural barriers? And how do we take this work to scale? Join us as we share two local Ghanaian tech solutions to a health challenge kept quiet for too long.
- Business & Innovation-In many parts of the world when you feel sick you visit a doctor, receive a prescription, and fill it at the pharmacy. But in sub-Saharan Africa, it's not always that simple.
- Business & Innovation-Emergency care is an increasing focus for the Ghanaian community. Despite popular media attention, Ghana still lacks the appropriate number of trained clinicians, adequate ambulance service, and blood availability needed to respond in urgent medical situations.
- Business & Innovation-Let's talk about sex, baby. Join us for a cutting-edge conversation on sexual health and intimacy in the modern age. This isn't a panel discussion, and it isn't a lecture - it's a real conversation facilitated by young people and health professionals. So pull up a chair, let down your guard, and let's talk about the issues. Ages 16+
- Business & Innovation-Ideally, the Internet decentralises communication and breaks down information monopolies. Can it do the same for financial flows? From mobile payment to innovations such as crowdfunding to cryptocurrencies that rewrite trust models of transactions, there are a multitude of ways technology is impacting on finance – FinTech seems to be able to transform existing power structures for the good.
- Business & InnovationFemale-Meet three women rocking the tech scene in Ghana and learn about their personal paths, history and the future of women in tech.
- Business & InnovationTech for Good-Port of Tema, fresh breeze coming in from the sea. The sparkles of light flooding in just before dawn. The waves crashing melodically against the harbour wall. And one hopeful businessperson waiting longingly for movement on the horizon. We all know the feeling of expecting a delivery whether in form of a small parcel or a shipment of containers. Wondering whether it has become stuck and whom to blame in case it went missing. Can Blockchain-technology revolutionize the way global trade operates?
- Business & InnovationFuture-The panel will address issues around how automatisation and robotics will affect the future of labour and workers rights in the gig economy and will attempt to answer the questions: How do we want to model future societies that may not be as labour focussed as ours are today? And how is the informal sector is affected by these developments?
- Business & InnovationFuture-This session will examine how digital technologies can improve urban lives and make urban development fairer and more participatory, from address systems, to architecture to access to resources in urban contexts.
- Business & InnovationAccess-Affordable access to communication is of such value as a social and economic enabler that we need strategies that can embrace everyone. In order to have a meaningful conversation about options to reach the unconnected , we need better information on current telecommunications network development. Telecommunications has been overlooked as a sector to which transparency principles and Open Data policies might apply.
- Business & InnovationAccess-More than 450 million of Africa’s population does not have access to mobile broadband signal. Community owned and managed networks are showing potential to contribute to close this gap. These networks not only provide access, but also have broader development implications. In this workshop, authors will engage with the audience going through the steps of creating one, reinforcing good practices and highlighting common pitfalls to avoid.