UNLEASHING Innovation in Jamaica: The Role of Public Policy
Imagine for a moment waking up to the sounds of bird song and the tender strokes of cool morning dew. Imagine the smell of sand and sea and the sight of majestic mountains kissing the ocean blue. Imagine resting your head to the chants of new-age reggae and being lulled by the whistles of native tree frogs. This is the collective experience of 2.7 million people who call this island home.
Jamaica, dubbed the land of wood and water, is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Much of our identity and survival depends on the natural resources found on the island. The Jamaican economy relies heavily on sectors such as agriculture, water, mining and tourism. Climate change, competition for raw materials, pests, increasing urbanization and habitat degradation now bring to question the long-term value of these natural assets. Jamaica must now face this tough question and forge a new path toward socio-economic development and environmental sustainability.
THIS IS WHERE THE JAMAICA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN — VISION 2030 COMES IN.
For the first time in our history, we have crafted a long-term National Development Plan (NDP) which envisages Jamaica, as the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business by the year 2030. The mechanisms by which we strive toward this vision is by placing more focus on the development of other forms of capital and adding higher value to our natural capital. Human, cultural, institutional and knowledge assets are to be better leveraged to move Jamaica from a factor-driven economy to an innovation-driven one. This diversified approach means applying innovation across all sectors and spheres of national life. But making the connections among all the players in the innovation system is a challenging task.
THIS IS WHERE I COME IN.
I am Aisha Jones, PhD of the National Commission on Science and Technology, and I work with an amazing team developing Jamaica’s first long-term Science, Technology and Innovation Policy. This policy is designed to UNLEASH Jamaica’s brightest minds to effectively apply scientific and technological innovation as tools for achieving developed country status by 2030. It intends to systemically link knowledge creators (academics, scientists) to knowledge users (policy makers, industry, small and medium enterprises) especially in areas where Jamaica has a competitive and comparative advantage. The policy will address key issues in this innovation system such as infrastructure, technology transfer and commercialization, agenda setting, education and financial resourcing. However, crafting and implementing national innovation policy especially in a country that historically and currently invests very little in discovery, knowledge creation and innovation is a difficult task.
THIS IS WHERE UNLEASH COMES IN.
From August 13 -21, an innovation system (lab) will be mounted in the happiest place on Earth, Denmark. Academics, entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and technical experts will convene to address the world’s most pressing challenges by co-creating innovative solutions with a view to conquering the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDG’s). Like our national STI Policy and our Vision 2030, the SDG’s are ambitious and complex. But these visionary policies are absolutely necessary. And our local approach to problem solving must mimic the approach of UNLEASH; youth-centered, disruptive, scalable and collaborative. It is my hope that I will learn how to deconstruct high level policy into implementable programmes that expedite our sectoral, national and global commitments. I also hope to work closely with my peers to mount new opportunities in Education and Information Communication Technologies (ICT), areas that I am committed to personally and professionally. I also anticipate benefiting from bilateral/multilateral cooperation as a way of resourcing our local innovative sectors and facilitating access of Jamaica’s ideas and solutions into the international space.
As I contemplate my upcoming experience at UNLEASH one profound adage comes to mind.
Out of Many, One People.
This is Jamaica’s National Motto. Out of 129 lands 1000 Global Talents will become ONE, collectively designing the roadmap toward ONE vision…a 2030 of sustainable peace, prosperity, partnership, planet and people. Time to get to work!
Blessings and ONE love!
