STEMAIDE Showcases Ghana’s Next Generation of Innovators at GDIW 2025 with Inaugural AI & Robotics Hackathon
STEMAIDE has marked a major milestone in Ghana’s digital innovation agenda with the successful hosting of its first-ever Hack STEMAIDE AI & STEM Hackathon during this year’s Ghana Digital Innovation Week (GDIW). The event, held on November 13 at the Accra International Conference Centre, brought together more than 60 young innovators working in teams to develop functional AI- and robotics-driven solutions using the STEMAIDE Learning Kit.
Organised under the theme, “AI for Impact: Local Problems, Smart Solutions,” the one-hour challenge produced eight fully functioning prototypes addressing critical issues in agriculture, energy efficiency, public safety, accessibility, and smart city development. Participants included senior high school students, university graduates, robotics enthusiasts, and young professionals.
The prototypes ranged from a smart irrigation system and automated streetlight solutions to motion-based lighting controls, intelligent traffic systems and an AI-assisted walking aid for the visually impaired. The Smart Intruder Alert System for Farms, developed by Group 5, emerged overall winner, receiving GH¢2,500 and souvenirs. Team SolarVerse, creators of the Plant Light Tracker, placed second with GH¢1,500, while Group 1’s Smart Irrigation System secured third place with GH¢1,000. Team SAWS earned an honourable mention for its Smart Walking Aid prototype.
Judges for the competition included Alvin Cudjoe, Claudia Twum, and John Ofori, who assessed the teams based on creativity, implementation, technical execution and impact.
Commenting on the initiative, Prince Boateng Asare, CEO of STEMAIDE Africa, described the hackathon as “a catalyst for job creation, a pipeline for young inventors, and a national platform for homegrown innovation.” He added that the results demonstrated the ability of Ghanaian youth to build practical technology solutions when provided with the right resources. Adoma Nyarko, Head of Marketing and Business Development, reinforced this view, emphasising the need for innovation to be “homegrown” to drive sustainable growth.
Following the success of the maiden edition, STEMAIDE has announced plans to roll out a nationwide Hack STEMAIDE Roadshow in 2026. The initiative will organise regional AI, Robotics, and IoT hackathons across all 16 regions, with winners advancing to the flagship national hackathon at GDIW 2026. The rollout is expected to support the development of future-ready talent, scale prototypes into commercial solutions, and strengthen Ghana’s capacity in digital manufacturing and emerging technology fields.
Bennistar K.K. Cobbah, Community Engagement Lead, described the platform as the “spark” needed to build a new generation of innovators equipped for the future of work.
STEMAIDE is calling on corporations, foundations, government agencies, and private sector players to partner with the organisation to expand the initiative. The organisation notes that such partnerships will support the training of thousands of young people in robotics and AI, strengthen Ghana’s innovation ecosystem, and fuel the development of local solutions with the potential for global application.
STEMAIDE, a leading EdTech organisation in Ghana, continues to drive practical STEM education through its learning kits, teacher training programmes, robotics initiatives, and nationwide innovation challenges targeted at learners aged 8–18.
