1. Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)
Objective
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To present the concepts of ICT-led innovation, creativity and economic growth focusing on: (a)
the factors sustaining an innovation culture in the region, (b) the relationship between the
Government, private sector and academia as key for a successful innovation strategy, (c) the
initiatives in Open Data and Open Government that might help governments in the Caribbean
develop robust innovation economies and (d) the mobile technology and social channels that
promote better business, economic growth, and systemic change -- all powered by the public
through crowdsourcing.
Key messages to the participants
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Innovation eco-systems thrive when platforms for promoting collaborative partnerships are
established. If governments are active partners in an ecosystem - willing to invest, experiment
and even fail (on a small scale) – they will see real innovations spring from their Open
Government and Open Data efforts.
Let’s structure economic payoffs to favor innovators and innovating firms in order to drive
sustainability, flexibility and competitiveness, and let’s expand and infuse creative thinking,
creative problem finding and solving within schools, universities and firms.
Whether for emergency response or civic affairs: crowdsourcing is happening, and we have best
practices to allow us to do it smarter. Let’s harness crowdsourcing to improve public services and
entrepreneurship.
Key take-aways from the participants' interaction
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Selected innovation instruments and policies from other countries (e.g. from Finland and other
leading innovating economies) should be studied and applied to the Caribbean - in particular
lessons learned from creating a viable Government-Private Sector-Academia partnership in
creating an IT-led innovation economy.
Some regional Open Data and Open Government initiatives have been initiated by academia,
and there is much interest in bringing governments on board.
A major challenge in the region that could benefit from crowdsourcing applications is natural
disaster prevention and post-disaster recovery efforts.