In the period 2008-2009, the WINDS-Caribe project carried out an open consultation exercise involving ICT researchers and research stakeholders from Europe and the Caribbean, aiming at identifying medium and long term strategies to improve EU-Caribbean cooperation in ICT research.

This work included:

• four consultations in the Caribbean during four events that were organised in Martinique, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Cuba
• the identification of five key themes of common benefit and interest for future EU-Caribbean cooperation
• the production of a Consultation Document for EU-Caribbean Cooperation in ICT research
• the discussion during the WINDS-Caribe Final Seminar on the 20th of October 2009 in Brussels

Documents

WINDS D5.3 Consultation Document on EU-Caribbean Cooperation in ICT research

ICT research areas of EU-Caribbean common benefit and interest

As a result of its research, analysis and consultation work (see the Report section of this website), WINDS-Caribe identified 5 issues of common benefit and interest for future EU-Caribbean cooperation in ICT research:

1. ICT research for Capacity- building It is evident that the information Society requires the sub-regions to build enhanceable skills- through modern ICT (eg. via the UN Millennium Development Goals) and to advance the economies. As a result, there is a committed advance in systems for on-line Government Services, e-commerce, and driver inputs into E-Learning, Distance Education and Access Infrastructure for social ends. A few systems are linked to the external tradability facilitation and core dimensions – both as pure ICT Research and as inputs (eg the Haitian Cap Rouge project). This latter observation is an important dimension of the principles of the WTO/GATS as ICTs (as Services) enable other services. A second example is the advanced medical/ hospital system in the Francophone countries, where the education and health services are being served.
2. Science and Technology especially for Sustainable Environment This is a new, general condition of modern economic development, especially significant to the opportunities of Caribbean biodiversity and paradoxically to climate change and other impacts leading to disasters. The Small- Island States articulations in Mauritius are new building- blocks on research, applied to Disaster Management. In this regard, each Caribbean country has some sub-system gearing itself to the national, disaster-prone geography and geology. Industrial expansion has added its requirements. Therefore, the increasing ICT-added applications for the region-wide CDERA are a significant and growing centre for future EU partnership and expansion to other disasters. The latter issue is a major concern in light of the other vulnerabilities of the region (see the world Bank/ Commonwealth study on “Vulnerability of Small Economies”) like the economy and health (HIV/AIDS), etc.
3. External Tradability This is a self-explanatory reference, drawing on the important work in the decade by UNCTAD. There are large advances in pure ICT/ Telecommunications equipment, applications to other infrastructure and to inputs in global ICT industries. These are strong features in the Hispanic Caribbean (ICT Training Centres) and in the Anglophone (Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica) Caribbean. However, we should note the importance of this feature in the Caribbean system, which is embodied in (attracting investments and jobs from abroad) and building competences for export in what the WTO/ GATS would describe as Mode 4 of the modes of (trade) supply. This tradability package of concepts is central to the Caribbean viability in the global, competitive system.
4. Applied ICT Research for Infrastructure For national development purposes as well as for ministering to transnational business ventures, there is an internal country dynamic of R&D in ICT infrastructure development. Some large projects are visible in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica. These show vast investments in infrastructure roll-out. Some research is applied in conjunction with the national universities. One emergent trend is the move to understanding roll-out of wireless technology applications, in novel and re-engineered areas of the public and private sectors. An obvious example, still emergent, is mobile banking systems. Overall, both at the regulatory and laboratory ends, the infrastructure appears high on the ICT horizon.
5. Internationally- Supported Systems for the New Business Environment The impact of the international (French) business sector directly in the Francophone Caribbean or through major industries (as in Kourou) points to a large sector of capital and technology, research expansion. One of the subtle and forward-thinking strategies of the UAG in Martinique is the establishment of ICT statistical measurement of impacts for the business sector (CEREGMIA). The role of the EU (Pro-invest) so far – especially in the Dominican Republic and in the Anglophone sub-region – points to a new partnership to stimulate business practices using ICT Research. This latter area requires advocacy by EU-type agencies to articulate self-growth through market alliance at basic levels of investment intervention.

Roadmap for EU-Caribbean Cooperation in ICT research

The WINDS-Caribe discussions and consultations have led to the publication of the Roadmap for EU-Caribbean cooperation in ICT research. This document is intended as an input to future discussions and to the broader EU-Caribbean policy dialogue, and is therefore open to comments and suggestions. For this, please contact Fabio Nascimbeni.