Intelligent manufacturing eco-system: A post COVID-19 recovery and growth opportunity for manufacturing industry in Sub-Saharan countries.

The lagging behind intelligent technologies and the COVID-19 pandemic together have impacted the emerging economy particularly the manufacturing sector in sub-Saharan countries. This paper systematically discusses intelligent manufacturing technologies with an aim to map out their importance and industrial applicability and to show their significance to contain COVID-19 pandemic. Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) is then adapted as a post COVID-19 recovery and growth opportunity to ensemble to production processes of manufacturing industry in the sub-Saharan countries. Proposition of a Triple Helix Collaboration Eco-system that delineate a recursive contribution of Government(s), academia, and industry accompanies the IMS adoption. The intention is to shape the existing industrial challenges through networking in the area of intelligence technologies. While proposing the Eco-system, a post COVID-19 recovery and growth opportunity and intra-Africa scientific collaborations are taken into account.

The need to localize energy technologies for Africa's post COVID-19 recovery and growth

Africa has limited capacity to develop its own energy technologies and has been largely dependent on importation for its economic development. It is anticipated that there will be huge challenge for the very limited manufacturing industries in the continent to respond to the increasing energy demand. This will largely require the up scaling of the local manufacturing industries in-terms of skills, design capability, engineering management, manufacturing process and other related issues. Experiences from the developed world showed that academics and industries play critical role in innovation and technology development with proper policy and focus from the policymakers. African academics and industries could play similar role but requires revitalizing with enabling policies and sufficient funding. For this reason, African governments should prioritize their policies and investments towards achieving local energy technology development and innovation in order to build resilient economy. In light of this, we provided necessary recommendations for African led development pathways and policies to promote local manufacturing of energy technologies. This will have huge implications in supporting post COVID recovery and sustainable growth of the African countries.