Ghana Eyes 3D Printing for Its Next Fleet of Vessels

• When Nigerian company RusselSmith sat down with Ghana’s maritime authority recently, the pitch was straightforward: replace the country’s aging wooden boat fleet with 3D printed vessels. Held in Accra, the meeting brought the asset management and advanced manufacturing company’s officials face to face with Dr. Kamal-Deen Ali, Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA). Facilitated […]

When Nigerian company RusselSmith sat down with Ghana’s maritime authority recently, the pitch was straightforward: replace the country’s aging wooden boat fleet with 3D printed vessels. Held in Accra, the meeting brought the asset management and advanced manufacturing company’s officials face to face with Dr. Kamal-Deen Ali, Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA). Facilitated by the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC), whose Ghana Head of Mission Dr. John Appea accompanied the delegation, the talks were led on RusselSmith’s side by Co-founder Kayode Adeleke. At the center of the proposal is a 3D printing facility on Ghanaian soil capable of producing vessels up to 12 m in length. The case against the status quo is practical: traditional wooden boat con