Excerpt from Intelligent CIO
With limited access to the Internet and high broadband costs, the process of Digital Transformation is fraught with difficulties for the small island states that make up the Caribbean. Despite this, digitization has the potential to drive their economies forward, overcome the challenges of remoteness and mitigate the threat of natural disasters through technological innovations.
The upscaling of digital technologies presents a host of opportunities for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean to diversify their economies, upscale manufacturing, gain greater access to global value chains, improve disaster preparedness and solve long standing issues that have caused a strain on their development.
Yet, tdigithere is no denying significant obstacles remain, including inadequate digital infrastructure, insufficient training opportunities for women and young people, a growing digital divide, and a lack of data and policy knowledge.
That’s according to an expert panel convened by the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit’s Digital Series on the topic: ‘How Information and Communication Technologies can foster inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Small Island Developing States’.
Island Innovation is a social enterprise and digital media company at the intersection of sustainable development and communications, offering specialised services across various sectors. We bring together the private sector, government, utilities, NGOs and universities to advance innovation for sustainability and prosperity in islands worldwide.
