KNUST launches Ghana Photonics and Optics Laboratory
The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has launched a new laboratory equipped with instruments capable of analysing the contents of medicines, detecting parasites in blood samples, measuring substances in water and soil, and transmitting telephone calls through glass fibres.
The Ghana Photonics and Optics Laboratory (GPOL), hosted by the university’s Department of Physics, is the country’s second dedicated optics and photonics laboratory and the first of its kind at KNUST.
The facility follows research work by Dr Akyana Britwum and Dr Michael Kweku Edem Donkor, supported by seed funding from SPIE, the International Society for Optics and Photonics.
Its long-term vision is to become a centre of excellence in optics and photonics, providing training for emerging scientists and innovators while supporting advanced research.
The laboratory is equipped with teaching and measurement kits, research instruments developed both professionally and by the community, as well as standard laboratory equipment.
According to the SPIE Optics and Photonics Global Industry Report 2025, the photonics-enabled marketplace was valued at an estimated $2.5 trillion in 2024, highlighting the growing importance of developing photonics expertise and capacity in Ghana and across Africa.
KNUST College of Science Provost, Professor Philip Antwi-Agyei, said the laboratory was established to help Ghana develop its own ability to apply photonics and reduce its reliance on external expertise.
“A country that cannot use light well can buy answers from other people. That is where Ghana has been, and it is what this laboratory has been built to change,” he said.
Prof. Antwi-Agyei added that the work had also encouraged collaboration across scientific disciplines, bringing together chemists, biologists, physicians, food scientists and engineers to use light-based technologies to address challenges in their respective fields.
He said the laboratory would give the university the tools to investigate important questions and find answers locally.
KNUST Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor David Asamoah, said the facility was significant for Ghana because decisions concerning safety and trade depended on accurate measurements. He noted that the equipment and assessments used for such purposes had often been sourced from outside the country.
He urged government agencies and regulators, including the Food and Drugs Authority, the Ghana Standards Authority, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Minerals Commission, to take advantage of the laboratory’s capabilities, given their daily reliance on optical measurements.
Dr Peter de Groot, Chair of the GPOL Advisory Board and SPIE’s 2025 president, said overcoming barriers, building scientific capacity, conducting high-quality research and encouraging entrepreneurship were essential in a rapidly changing world.
He said SPIE was helping address the capacity gap through an international model for skills development, partnerships and initiatives such as Spectroscopy, Optics and Microscopy Training for West African Empowerment.
The launch of GPOL is a key part of the NYANSAPƆ Photonics School for Health and Safety, which brings together 38 students from six African countries. The programme includes laboratory sessions, plenary discussions, distinguished lectures and a keynote address, delivered with the participation of 17 invited faculty members from Spain, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo.
Source: GNA
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