Grenada’s Government to Accelerate Digital Development BY GERARD BEST
Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell just called for businesses to work with governments across the region to accelerate national development through digital transformation.
“It is imperative that we embrace digitisation as a necessary step to transform our business operations and remain competitive,” Mitchell said, speaking at the opening ceremony of Grenada ICT Week, just held in St. George’s, Grenada earlier this month.
“The Caribbean region has much to gain from the digital revolution but it requires businesses and government to take action and provide the necessary support. It is imperative that we work in tandem to create an enabling environment that will allow businesses to succeed in the digital age,” he added.
At Grenada ICT Week, Mitchell shared the stage with renowned technology experts at a unique initiative intended to yoke the power of digital transformation to the urgent priorities of Grenada and the Caribbean.
The four-day initiative was organized by the Grenada Chamber of Industry and Commerce (GCIC) in collaboration with the Grenada National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC), the Caribbean Network Operators Group (CaribNOG) and the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN). It brought together business leaders, government officials, ICT professionals, academics, and members of civil society, alongside local, regional, and international experts to discuss the increasing role of technology in business, government, and society.
From left, Mr. Vincent Roberts, Chairman, Grenada National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission; Mr. Kennie John, President, Grenada Chamber of Industry and Commerce; Ms. Naela Sarras, Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement in North America, Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers; Hon. Dickon Mitchell, Prime Minister, Grenada; Mr. Bevil Wooding, Director of Caribbean Affairs, American Registry for Internet Numbers; and Mrs. Petipha Lewis-Smith, Executive Director, Grenada Chamber of Industry and Commerce, at the opening ceremony of the Grenada ICT Week, St George’s, Grenada, February 28, 2023. Courtesy Caribbean Network Operators Group.
“ARIN was pleased to support this platform for attendees to explore key facets of the internet economy and the implications of global trends for regional and national development, including digital innovation, internet governance, and public policy,” said Bevil Wooding, Director of Caribbean Affairs at ARIN and co-founder of CaribNOG.
In the opening day Business Forum, entrepreneurs and business leaders gathered for frank discussions on how technology can be leveraged to drive economic growth and development in Grenada.
In the day two Public Sector Forum, government officials, industry regulators and senior public servants came together to explore promising opportunities to accelerate Grenada’s digital economy.
“Grenada is uniquely positioned as it has the lead within the Caricom for science and technology including information and communications. It is important therefore that it leads by example and that within both the public and private sectors there is a push to the adoption of technology to not just improve service delivery but to deliver new products and services regionally and internationally,” said Rodney Taylor, Secretary General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union.
Grenada ICT Week activities included the twenty-fifth regional gathering of CaribNOG, held with the support of international technology experts from ARIN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the Internet Society and the Latin American and Caribbean Internet Registry (LACNIC).
“It has been our honour to host CaribNOG 25 as part of the Grenada ICT Week, and we were especially delighted to have the support of the Grenadian government for our Youth Forum, which was a special one-day workshop that provided career guidance and hands-on training for students and young ICT professionals,” said Stephen Lee, CEO of Arkitechs Inc. and co-founder of CaribNOG.
Building on the success of Grenada ICT Week, organizers are looking forward to a series of upcoming initiatives intended to increase Grenada’s capacity to leverage technology to create employment and accelerate economic growth.
