Innovative Business Lab to be established in BVI by 2020
Government will be establishing an Innovative Business Lab in the British Virgin Islands next year.
This was revealed at an Innovation Week (iWeek) media conference on October 25 by Junior Minister for Trade and Economic Development Sharie de Castro.
While no specific date or location was disclosed for the business lab, the Junior Minister said the initiative is government’s tangible way of supporting current and future businesses.
“For the first time, businesses will have a home to call their own outside the walls which they pay to house their operations. Upon the opening of the lab, on a weekly and monthly basis, they will be opportunities for collaboration, interaction and partnership, fostered in an environment designed for entrepreneurs to win,” de Castro stated.
Idea of lab around since 2016
The junior minister also said the ideas supporting the development of the lab has been in existence since 2016 under the previous NDP administration.
“The concept of the lab has been in existence since then. We do have an innovation strategy which was amazing to see when we got in. A lot of the groundwork has been done in terms of the planning and the paperwork. What we must do now is move it forward and make it actionable.”
Innovation initiatives about empowerment
Meanwhile, Acting Premier Kye Rymer said that the initiative along with iWeek — which is scheduled to host a list of activities from October 28 to 31 — is all about empowering residents.
“As leaders of this territory, it is our intentions to teach people to become self-sufficient through innovative training programmes that will produce an innovative group of entrepreneurs that will intern create an innovative driven Virgin Islands economy,” the Acting Premier stated.
He further said businesses have a role to play in diversifying the BVI’s economy as government continues to build in the era of economic substance.
“The next great idea can come from anywhere or anyone, so it, therefore, means that any investment in small businesses is an investment in the potential sustainability in the Virgin Islands,” Rymer said.
List of activities
The Acting Premier also appealed to all interested persons to come out and take part in the week of activities that will aid and advance their businesses to a global level.
The week of activities will begin on Monday, October 28 with a message from the Junior Trade Minister.
Tuesday, October 29 will be the ‘Come Innovate Business Forum’ at Maria’s by the Sea from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.
A ‘Tech Talk’ session will take place on Wednesday, October 30 at Maria’s by the Sea hotel. That session will run from 10 am to 3 pm.
The final day — Thursday, October 31 — will see invited schools from across the territory participating in a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) introduction experience and a logo design presentation competition. This event will also be at Maria’s by the Sea starting at 5 pm.
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Amazing news and fantastic effort! Green energy, the upcoming satellite internet boom, and mitigation of climate change are all needed and immensely profitable! Way to go looking far forward!!
Strupes!!!!!!!!!! Those 4 VIP ATLARGE candidates are a waste of time. That’s all she brought to the table?? Don’t even talk about sheep, carvin and the other confusion maker from VG
jump high jump low the four vip going right back
You are so consumed by hate, VIP Heckler.
I was like, is this guy serious… but then i saw your name and realized your have a job to do… do your thing man, everyone’s gotta get paid – see you at the bank…
Great innovative thinking!! Hopefully some bright minds will tackle the annual sargassum invasion/problem and figure out how to harvest and convert this algae into some useful affordable product(fertilizer, animal feed, etc.)
All the VIP bloggers will scroll past the part that this was an NDP initiative and she met the framework. Sooo basically this isn’t something that she created. But we’re happy that she’s moving forward with an NDP initiative unlike the Minister for Education who just seems to be doing away with everything and has a plan for absolutely nothing.
Actually, that was the most impressive part of the article… It’s so fresh to see someone come into a political landscape and give credit to their predecessors across the isle… Good job to Sharie and to Marlon…
I was like, is this guy serious… but then i saw your name and realized your have a job to do… do your thing man, everyone’s gotta get paid – see you at the bank…
This girl only good for nice speeches. Definitely not leadership material. Only good morning o head a committee here or there. She is and her colleague are s********s. Waste of time.
Instead of working on new ideas, why doesn’t she work on the 30+ trade licenses that were submitted to her office from months and months ago? Get tasks at hand completed before moving on to new tasks.
I am tired of this blog. Archer needs to make this world class public service reality. I said before where you send those trade license application you need to go get them from there and stop throwing blame on the Junior Minister for your thirty applications. Thank you
Those 30 applications have to be approved by the Junior Minister. Why is it that after months and months she cannot get that done? The blame is correctly at her heels!
To everyone except VIP heckler because as someone said, you have a job to do:
Look all of you all need to lay up off of that VIP haterade you all be drinking. Don’t you all ever get tired of that toxic, and low energy life coming on here with the same regurgitation? I mean I wasn’t an NDP fan (still am not) but even I had to let it go after you all put them back in and they were humbug-ing up the country.
We get it. You don’t like VIP policies and never will. I feel the same about NDP. I will tell you something though. Like attracts like. If you continue to wallow in that hateful low vibration, that is what you will continue to attract in your life (ask any Zen Master) and you will continue think VIP is the problem.
Ask yourself this. Is what you are doing today getting you closer to where you want to be?
The fault dear haterators is not in your stars, but in yourselves.
She is a waste of time you hear she. Stop making people waste all you time. Bvi ain’t go be no dam brain bank and dem ain’t pregnant with no possibility or opportunity what you call it.
You sound like a fluffy cloud
ThTs all you highest vote getter. Take what you get and shut it.