Science Technology and Innovation newsletter july september 2013 by Scientific Research Council

JULY — SEPTEMBER 2013

VOL.1, ISSUE # 3

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS JULY — SEPTEMBER 2013

A Q ua r te rl y N e ws l e tte r of t h e Scie n t if ic R e s e a rch Co un cil , Ja m a ica

This Newsletter highlights news, events and activities in Science & Technology (S&T) and related subjects which have taken place primarily in Jamaica over the last three months.

JAMAICA FULBRIGHT ENERGY AWARENESS COMPETITION AND BOOK LAUNCH

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Team Jamaica for the Caribbean Youth Science Forum (CYSF) 2013 poses with the Jamaican Flag

IN THIS ISSUE:

AWARDS/COMPETITIONS

1 | Business Development

“Stay Good Boutique” takes Innovator Competition Jamaica Yellow Pages, title sponsor of ‘The Innovators’ reality show, celebrates the series’ season finale with the announcement of five winners of the Jamaica Yellow Pages’ Innovators’ Facebook competition. The competition invited micro, small business owners and fans of the series to submit their business models to their Facebook page for a chance to win [...]

5 | Energy

Students elated with win in i3’s Competition

1 | Awards/ Competitions

Mayday High and Northern Caribbean University (NCU) emerged winners of the recently concluded i3 Competition hosted by The Business Lab in partnership with the Scientific Research Council (SRC) and corporate sponsors. The finals were held on the grounds of the SRC on August 23, 2013. [...] ...more on page 2/ 

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Making Science & Technolog y work for you

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS JULY — SEPTEMBER 2013

CARIBBEAN S&T EVENTS FOR JULY-SEPTEMBER 2013 Design Contest for Crafters to Boost Development Sep 27>> World Tourism Day Sep 26 – 27>>3rd Annual Hawaii Renewable Development Conference Sep 26 -27>> Oil, Gas & Power – Conference & Exhibition Sep 24-26>>The World Bank InfoDev Workshop Sep 24- 26>>Training Workshop on Supporting the growth of a Caribbean Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Sep 23 – 27>> Maritime Week Sep 21>> International Coastal Clean-up Day Sep 20- 21>> Jamaica Alternative Energy Expo Sep 17-18>> Water Expo Sep 16>> International Ozone Day Sep 13>> Opportunity Quest – sauces, Jams and Jellies Sep 12- 13 >> The Internationalisation of SMEs – Marketing and eBusiness Workshop Sep 10- 11>> Packaging Expo & Conference Sep 4>> Energy Awareness Competition 2013 and Book Launch Function Aug 28- 29>> A New Approach To Climate: Climate Smart and Ready Aug 27-29>> Metering Latin America 2013 Aug 23>> I3 Competition Finals July 23-25>> Summer Soap Workshop July 16-19>> Tissue Culture Training July 11>> SRC/Marketech Wastewater Forum July 11>> Caribbean Sustainable Energy Roadmap and Strategy (C-SERMS) Resource Mobilisation Forum July 11>> Eminent Domain in Texas – Pitfalls and Best Practices for Energy Projects

SCAN ME AND LOG ON!

According to the organisers of the event, the craft market has long been overlooked by governments. However, this competition signals the end of that era. According to Damion Crawford, Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, he and Dr Wykeham McNeill, tourism minister, were tired of hearing craft vendors complain about not maximising [...] Commonwealth Scholarships The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission has just announced its application process for scholars wishing to study in UK universities for Master’s and PhD degrees from the 2014-15 academic year. Its Electronic Application System is now live, and will close on 3rd December 2013. All applications need to be made through national nominating agencies – full details of which [...] SERHA stages Global Handwashing Day poster and song competition THE South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) has launched a Global Handwashing Day poster and song competition as part of activities to increase awareness of the importance of frequent hand washing in preventing the spread of infectious diseases. The poster and song competition targets grade six primary and preparatory school students in 36 schools in the [...]

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Ten PFIs to distribute NIF Loan Funds The National Insurance Fund (NIF) said Monday that J$700 million of the J$1.5 billion credit line for small and medium enterprises will be issued through the Development Bank of Jamaica. The rest will flow through nine other participating financial institutions or PFIs, namely: Micro Investment Development Agency; JN Small Business Loans; EXIM Bank; COK Sodality [...]

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(Cover image: Opportunity Quest event 2012)

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS JULY — SEPTEMBER 2013

Small Ideas Not Exciting to Venture Capitalists Jamaica is well known for its proliferation of entrepreneurs, with market vendors and informal traders standing out in their ability to eke a living on their own in a struggling economy. But that will not cut it in the world of venture capital, which is on the look-out for “Bolt entrepreneurs” – normally referred to as [...] DBJ Collateral Support to SMEs Tops J$200m Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) has guaranteed loans for 132 small and medium enterprises over the last four years under its Credit Enhancement Facility (CEF) created as a backstop for companies with limited collateral. [...] DBJ to launch Jamaica Venture Capital Fund beginning April 2014 The Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) announced on September 9 that it would be launching a Venture Capital Fund (VCF) as part of a Venture Capital programme beginning April 1 2014. This announcement was made at a one day Conference titled “ Advancing Innovation and Entrepreneurship: seeding tomorrow's opportunities “ which was held at [...] Aspiring entrepreneurs to get crash course on creating business

Non-profit group ConnectiMass will bring local entrepreneurs and star-tup enthusiasts together over a weekend next month to share ideas and launch companies. Start-up Weekend Jamaica runs from Friday, October 4 to Sunday, October 6. Billed as a 54-hour event, it will feature local and Diaspora-based CEOs, founders, and American start-up veterans as mentors and coaches to [...] $1.5 billion more from NIF for Onlending to SMEs Government is making another $1.5 billion available, through the National Investment Fund (NIF), for onlending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The Administration’s decision was influenced by the “positive outcome” of a directive by Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller to allocate $1 billion from the NIF for onlending to the sector in 2006.“This was a decision [...] A Venture Capital Ecosystem for Jamaica that Works Investment finance in Jamaica has generally lacked a structured framework or a systematic approach. Many small firms have accessed growth capital either through personal funds or from friends and family. Angel investors have always been active, but they are not organised, and funding through this source has been limited depending on the level of access entrepreneurs [...] ISupportJamaica.com may be good for tech start-ups – techies Local techies are eyeing ISupportJamaica.com as a possible lifeline for start-ups in the local tech industry. The English-speaking Caribbean’s first crowd-financing platform, recently launched by JN Small Business Loans (JNSBL) and its sister organisation JN Foundation, currently supports charities and community-based organisations seeking funding for projects. The donation phase came on stream in July but [...] Manufacturers to reap benefits from ‘Jamaica Made’ products The Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ), which is the country’s national certification body, recently established the JMM Programme, which seeks to provide a mark that easily distinguishes authentic Jamaican products of quality and create significant competitive advantage for local products in the domestic and overseas markets. [...]

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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS JULY — SEPTEMBER 2013

JN Crowdfunding Platform Goes Live in August JN Small Business Loans Ltd’s crowdfunding platform, ISupportJamaica.com, plans to start distributing loans to business start-ups at the end of August. The ISupport initiative was developed by JN and first unveiled in June, but as is typical for crowdfunding arrangements, the funds for lending will be sourced from individuals. JN says it continues to solicit donations to [...] Advertising, Marketing Key To Succe$$ – SMEs Vie For $2m Ad Campaign Small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) are vital to any economy. Yet, studies have shown that 50 per cent of small businesses will fail within the first year and as many as 95 per cent will cease to operate by the fifth year of operation. Every business knows the importance of creating a memorable brand and cementing [...] Funding Projects With The Crowd Crowdfunding is not a new concept. However, the difference is that Jalawelo is a non-profit corporation that hosts only non-profit projects for Jamaica. The concept, according to Executive Director Donna Gabbadon, is funding projects through small contributions once the project has been identified. “Jalawelo is not like many other crowdfunding sites, in [...] Pan chicken trail: CB, FHC and SDC partner on Entrepreneurship drive First Heritage Co-operative Credit Union (FHC), the Caribbean Broilers Group (CBG) and the Social Development Commission (SDC), have signed an agreement to collaborate to empower community residents and facilitate the growth of the MSME sector through business development exercises. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), will see the organisations make presentations on funding, marketing and managing small [...]

New Business Incubator Up And Running Four local software companies, three of which are start-ups, are a part of the technology incubator which is helping to turn the ideas of young software developers into feasible businesses and offer the more established software businesses an international customer base. “The tech industry in Jamaica is growing though it’s nascent. It’s growing [...] ‘Collateral, perceived risk still barriers for micro businesses’ A fifth of the estimated 460,000 micro entrepreneurs in Jamaica do not have a relationship with a financial institution. That makes them unable to access loans, diminishing their contribution to the economy, according to Phillip Bernard, general manager of JN Small Business Loans Limited (JNSBL). “Our surveys reveal that there are some 180,000 micro entrepreneurs who want to [...]

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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS JULY — SEPTEMBER 2013

Micro-Business Sector best hope for immediate job growth Labour Minister Derrick Kellier, on Wednesday, said that the Government was committed to providing the necessary funding support for the small- and micro-business sector. Kellier, who announced an increase in the amount of funds provided from the National Investment Fund (NIF), under its small- and medium-enterprise credit facility, said mega-investment projects are unlikely to reduce the [...]

ENERGY Jamaica can triple wind energy output JAMAICA can triple its electricity generated from wind if it uses up its full potential. A recent wind resource assessment identified four locations suitable for energy development with a combined potential generating capacity of 212 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually (just over five per cent of total consumption). The study, which assessed 24 prospective sites across the island, [...] Wigton IDs four wind energy sites Wigton Windfarm Limited, a subsidiary of the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ), is reporting encouraging findings from a recently completed Wind Resource Assessment, which identified four locations suitable for wind energy development with a combined potential generating capacity of 212 million KWh annually. The study, which assessed 24 prospective sites across the island, highlighted four locations [...] Cuba opens first solar farm It’s like a vision of the space age, carved out of the jungle: Thousands of glassy panels surrounded by a lush canopy of green stretch as far as the eye can see, reflecting the few clouds that dot the sky on a scorching Caribbean morning. Cuba’s first solar farm opened this spring with [...] Tax Breaks, Policy Priorities Energise Renewable Market For consumers and businesses, high energy costs are a burden. For companies like retail chain Appliances Trader Limited, it is an opportunity. CEO of the ATL Group of Companies, Adam Stewart, says the hunt for savings is driving up sales in the new ATL Energy Solutions division. He is predicting the division will, in the medium term, [...] Signed and sealed JPS inks Natural Gas deal with overseas consortium The Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) is one step closer to acquiring compressed natural gas for its Bogue Power Plant in Montego Bay, St James, a development that could save the national electricity service provider a whopping US$40 million a year. The reconfigured plant should start receiving the [...]

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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS JULY — SEPTEMBER 2013

Offer More Incentives For Renewable Energy – CaPRI The regional think tank, Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI), is urging Caribbean governments to diversify the incentives being offered in the renewable energy market. Presenting an update on its renewable-energy research that it expects will influence policies and inform potential investors on the way forward in the sector, CaPRI’s renewable energy programme manager, Dr Suzanne Shaw, [...] JPS, JMA To Tailor Energy Solutions For Local Firms The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has extended an olive branch to players in the local manufacturing sector with a view to forging a partnership that could see manufacturers spending less on their electricity bills. Under the partnership agreement, the JPS and the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA) will come together to develop tailored energy [...] Recycling Waste electricity The need for lower electricity bills and a cheaper alternative to solar energy. These, primarily, were what led Mr. Mark Neita and business partner Dr Matthew Bird to the green box technology and to found Green Box Jamaica. As the name suggests, the product is a box of capacitors designed to reduce energy consumption, thus making [...] Street Light Audit to be completed by September Within the next two months, the Government should be in a position to tell taxpayers how much they have been forking out to pay for non-functioning street lights. Dahlia McDonald, public relations officer in the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, told The Gleaner yesterday that the long-awaited audit on street lights is near [...] Red Light For Solar Power Along Elegant Corridor Tourism Minister Dr Wykeham McNeill said technical personnel within the Government have advised against the use of solar panels for the lighting of the ‘Elegant Corridor’ in Montego Bay, St James. “The discussion has been between LED lights and solar. We put it to the technical persons, the (National) Works Agency, and the [...] JPS collaboration with REP to increase use of solar systems The Rural Electrification Programme (REP) has been mandated to work with the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) to promote the use of solar systems in a bid to reduce electricity theft. Minister of Science, Technology, Energy, and Mining Phillip Paulwell says this initiative is in tandem with other theft reduction efforts, such as regularising supplies to [...] Jamaica growing eco-smart Local consumers are becoming increasingly energy conscious and are going after more eco-efficient electronic products. This is according to reports from Appliance Traders Limited (ATL), a leading supplier of residential, commercial, industrial and business equipment which has recently forayed into energy solutions. [...]

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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS JULY — SEPTEMBER 2013

ATL Auto showrooms go solar Company signs $25-m deal with Panasonic to convert Oxford Road location. On Monday, deputy chairman and CEO of ATL/Sandals group Adam Stewart inked a $25-million deal with Panasonic Latin America for the latter to convert the Oxford Road location to solar power. The entire roof of each showroom will be lined with HIT photovoltaic [...]

Encouraging Signs for Geothermal Energy Project Montserrat officials say they are encouraged by the geothermal flow at the first well that became active last month. The United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) is funding the exploratory phase of the geothermal energy project and Premier Reuben Meade says he is hoping London will fund the entire project so that the resources and [...] PetroCaribe surprise The Jamaican Government appears to have been taken by surprise by reports on the weekend that Venezuela is contemplating a 100 per cent increase on interest payable on oil it exports to the region under the PetroCaribe agreement. Both Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell and Finance and Planning Minister Dr Peter Phillips were unable to comment yesterday [...] Venezuela to hike interest rates under PetroCaribe deal The Venezuelan government is set to increase the interest rate it charges to finance oil purchases by Central American and Caribbean countries under the PetroCaribe deal. According to reports from online financial news agency Platts, the increase stems from higher administrative and maintenance costs of the loans. Platts is a division of McGraw Hill [...]

HEALTH ISSUES Low Cholesterol Is Dangerous THERE IS great confusion in the minds of many on the issue of cholesterol. Due to powerful propaganda from the drug manufacturers, most people worry about the cholesterol level in their blood being too high. Unfortunately, they never give a thought to the dangers of low cholesterol, especially when it results from taking medication. This almost [...]

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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS JULY — SEPTEMBER 2013

Eczema in childhood It’s an itchy nuisance which causes the skin to become inflamed and sore. The term eczema or dermatitis is used to describe certain kinds of inflamed skin conditions including allergic contact dermatitis and nummular dermatitis. Eczema can be red, blistering, oozing, scaly, brownish, or thickened. A special type is called atopic dermatitis or atopic eczema, [...] Garlic helps prevent lung cancer A recent study suggests that eating raw garlic twice a week can decrease your chances of getting lung cancer significantly. Research performed at Jiangsu Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in China stated that “garlic may potentially serve as a chemo-preventive agent for lung cancer”, suggesting its ability to prevent the risk of lung cancer. The [...] Do mosquitoes cause childhood obesity? A small study suggests mosquitoes contribute to the problem of childhood obesity in parts of the United States. Researchers from Brandeis University in Massachusetts led an experimental study to investigate whether the amount of time children spent playing outside varied depending on whether the mosquito population was controlled or not. They found that children spent more time [...]

SCIENCE EDUCATION SCIENCE EDUCATION

CXC Syllabuses available online The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has taken the decision to make the syllabuses for CAPE and CSEC subjects available online free, effective immediately. This will eliminate the challenge of obtaining syllabuses, which many of our stakeholders have encountered in recent times. This move facilitates easier access to the syllabuses for more candidates, teachers and parents; and [...] PBS Jamaica donates 40 printers to schools PRODUCTIVE Business Solutions (PBS) Jamaica donated 40 Xerox multi-function printers to the Ministry of Education on Tuesday for distribution to 40 schools across the island. The 40 printers are valued at US$150,000 (J$15 million). In making the presentation at the offices of the education ministry, Melanie Subratie, a director of the PBS Group, said the company was [...] Confidence and Performance in STEM significantly boosted for SPISE 2013 Graduates Each year, the Caribbean Science Foundation (CSF) runs the Student Program for Innovation in Science and Engineering (SPISE). In the 2013 SPISE the CSF served 16 students from 10 Caribbean countries (Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, and Trinidad & Tobago). These students have just successfully [...] Jamaican Students participate in Caribbean Youth Science Forum A Jamaican delegation comprising a team of six(6) including a chaperone was sent off to Trinidad and Tobago by the Scientific Research Council to participate in this year’s Caribbean Youth Science Forum (CYSF) 2013. The Forum is a regional event hosted by the National Institute of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (NIHERST) based in Trinidad [...]

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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS JULY — SEPTEMBER 2013

Ministry pushes for better performance in Mathematics THE Ministry of Education says there will be changes in the way Mathematics is taught in the island’s schools when the new school year opens next month. The ministry made the announcement on Monday as it released results of the 2013 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. The CSEC results showed that there was a 12 per [...] Digicel, USAID Partner For Literacy The Digicel Foundation is working to shore up literacy levels among the country’s primary school students through an expanded Enrichment Initiative project. The initative is an islandwide Information and Communications Technology (ICT) partnership with the education ministry in support of the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of achieving 100 per cent literacy by 2015. The project [...] Master Teacher To Pitch Jamaican Model At Gifted Confab On August 8, Dr Viviene Deokoro, founder and visionary of the 22-year-old Deokoro Magnet Schools for the Gifted and Talented, will leave Jamaica for the 20th Biennial World Conference of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC) in Kentucky, United States. She joins a diversity of other national delegates, colleagues, researchers, and renowned [...] Spanish Town youths to benefit from Tech programme SOME 120 young people from several Spanish Town communities will this year benefit from a programme designed to provide training in software and applications (apps) development and entrepreneurial skills. The project, dubbed ‘Spanish Town Software Techies Programme’, was officially launched last Thursday by Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Minister Phillip Paulwell. Speaking at the function held at [...]

SCIENTISTS SRC Scientist awarded Internationally The Scientific Research Council’s Doctor Lawrence Williams has been recognised as a Featured Scientist by ‘Intercontinental Who’s Who’. Intercontinental Registry Who’s Who is an international award “established to honour and recognize business professionals from around the globe for their success and achievement in their specialized fields.” Williams, who did both his first degree Campus and his Doctoral work [...]

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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS JULY — SEPTEMBER 2013

TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY

PM Mitchell Urges CARICOM Member States to Develop Their NRENs Dr. the Right Hon. Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada, urged CARICOM Member States to formally establish national research and education networks (NRENs), and to designate and appoint a manager and a technical resource person to manage the NRENs. He made his remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the 34th Meeting of the Conference of [...] Sony launches camera phone with add-on lenses Berlin Sony Mobile unveiled a new addition to its Xperia smartphone lineup Wednesday: a device that sports a massive 20.7-megapixel camera and is capable of attaching better lenses. The Xperia Z1, presented in Berlin two days before the annual IFA consumer electronics show there, is Sony’s attempt to leapfrog rivals such as Nokia and Samsung in [...] Tutorials on tablets The Jamaican education system is about to get a technological boost this academic year through a partnership with telecoms provider Digicel and Cyber School Technology Solutions (CSTS), according to a news release from the telecoms company. Students and teachers of mathematics and the sciences at the CXC level will have access [...] Local animation firm reels in another big contract GSW to take on more than 50 additional animators Animation studio, GSW has landed a contract that will see the local firm produce 52 episodes for a globally distributed cartoon series. The company, which will undertake animation and background design under the 13-month contract, aims to increase its compliment of animators from 12 to 75 by next [...] More schools using tablets In addition to books and stationery — the regular items on the booklist — some parents will be expected to equip their children with tablet computers this upcoming school year as more and more schools prepare to make the learning experience more interactive. Among those that intend to expand the use of digital technology in the [...] Local tech firm brings business card application to Windows 8 Xormis, a Jamaican technology company has launched a networking application on the Windows 8 platform that enhances the sharing of business cards via smartphones. The application, Grik.ly Windows 8, goes beyond a standard online address book or a physical card with basic details — it includes a profile, provides updates on any change in your contacts’ [...]

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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS JULY — SEPTEMBER 2013

AMANDA software to increase efficiency at local gov’t ministry The Ministry of Local Government and Community Development is deepening its efforts to improve the development approval process, through the implementation of the Application Management and Data Analysis (AMANDA) software. As a result, professionals in the land development and construction field will now see their development applications being dealt with in a more efficient manner. The AMANDA [...] Fujitsu introduces cloud-based messaging security FUJITSU on Tuesday launched a new cloud-based solution that minimises the risks, costs and complexity of ensuring robust messaging security. Combining breadth of ICT security and cloud expertise from Fujitsu with messaging and web security technology from Symantec, FujitsuCloud End User Protect provides an end-to-end security solution for medium to large enterprises, bringing a new cloud-based [...] Consolidated Bakeries sweet with telemetry technology CONSOLIDATED Bakeries, which trades as Purity, says it has realised significant efficiencies through telemetry technology. Telemetry technology facilitates Sales Force Automation (SFA) in achieving remote measurement and reporting of data to a centrally managed system by means of Digicel Business’ 4G mobile network to transmit data wirelessly with the use of Huawei tablets and SIM cards. “With [...] Grace foundation receives software donation from Microsoft THE Grace and Staff Community Development Foundation — the community outreach arm of GraceKennedy — has been given a boost in its effort to educate more of Jamaica’s inner-city youth, through a software donation from Microsoft valued at US$250,000. The software has been installed in the foundation’s four homework centres on Tower Street, Majesty Gardens, Spanish [...]

Young entrepreneurs present mobile applications at Digicel Students from six high schools across the country presented their mobile applications during a function at Digicel’s headquarters in downtown Kingston on Wednesday, July 3. The mobile applications are part of an entrepreneurial and business-development project dubbed ‘I am the Change Expo: An Initiative to Develop Young Entrepreneurs’ held in May of this year. Participating schools [...] Jamaican IT experts form alliance A new body has been formed representing a working group of local information technology (IT) service providers, software developers and consultancy and advisory services. The group is called the Jamaica Information Technology and Services Alliance (JITSA). Given the importance of IT to the national agenda and economically, there is a great need to provide the government, industry [...]

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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS JULY — SEPTEMBER 2013

Online climate risk assessment tool for the Caribbean The Belize-based Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) says it will launch a seminal on-line support tool in St Lucia on Friday in keeping with the thrust to promote a culture of risk management across the region. St Lucia’s Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony will address the launch of the Caribbean Climate Online [...]

Reach, SIEAE, SolWind are Mogul Ones to Watch 2014 REACH Academy, SIEAE, and SolWind Energy are the Jamaica Observer Mogul in the Making programme’s Ones to Watch for 2014. The People’s Choice, chosen by online voters, went to the early childhood school, the Business Desk chose the mobile application development company SIEAE, which stands for Seeing in Everything Augmented Experiences, while a panel of judges [...]

Camara Foundation Using Technology To Boost Education The name appears almost every time Digicel makes a donation of computers to schools in Jamaica. The Camara Foundation, a multinational, non-profit, non-governmental organisation which originated in Ireland, was established with assistance from the Digicel Foundation in Jamaica in 2010. Its mission is to use technology to deliver and improve education throughout [...] CARIMAC now offering Animation Certification The University of the West Indies (UWI) will be collaborating with GSW Animation Limited, Toon Boom Animation Inc. and the World Bank to provide some 50 young persons with training and employment in professional animation. This move is in line with Jamaica’s plans to increase opportunity for local and regional animators to get a foothold in [...] Animation Training For Cornwall Begins Today Today, the Governor General’s I Believe Initiative (IBI) will embark on the final leg of animation training for youth at the county level in Jamaica. The Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC) at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Western Jamaica Campus (UWIWJC) will host the IBI’s County of Cornwall workshop from July 22-26. Director [...]

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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS JULY — SEPTEMBER 2013

WORKSHOPS/SEMINARSSHOPS/SEMINARS Keystone Science Workshop – an eye-opener Halse Hall, Clarendon — Strengthened by a science workshop over the summer break, two teachers from schools in Alumina Company Jamalco’s operating areas are looking forward to using new teaching techniques. A release from Jamalco has identified the two educators as Nathaniel Byrd of Foga Road High School in Clarendon and Zeta Edmund-Wright of Pratville Primary [...] Moguls in training The path to growing a profitable and successful business appeared clearer for Jamaica Observer’s ‘Moguls in the Making’ after an eight-hour workshop put on by Scotiabank on Thursday. The young business owners were given lessons on how to set goals and the importance of having a sense of direction. Other topics included the concept of success, [...]

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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION NEWS JULY — SEPTEMBER 2013

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