Kumasi, July 10, GNA- A businessman on Thursday called for pragmatic measures of closing the gap between the academics and industrialists since it was impacting negatively on the growth of industries.

Mr Michael Addo, Managing Director of Kama Health Services, said, "this phenomenon does not augur well for our technological advancement into the middle level income bracket unless pragmatic measures are taken to quickly address it."

Mr Addo said this at the launch of "The Technocrat" magazine at the Great Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.

The 26-page magazine is published by the KNUST with a vision to provide science and technology information that can be utilised by industry.

He said it was gratifying that the magazine had been introduced as a first step towards bridging that gap and to facilitate the transfer of knowledge, skills and expertise between the university and the industrial community.

Mr Addo said because of the gap, a lot of research works by universities continue to lie idle since most industries are not even aware of their existence.

Professor Kwesi Andam, Vice Chancellor of KNUST, stressed the need for providing adequate and permanent offices for the university alumni and strengthening its staffing position to enable it contribute more positively to development of the universities.

Prof Andam said it is the focus of KNUST to make it one of the leading technical universities in the world and that such a mission could be achieved only when all stakeholders contribute to developments at the university.