Carib Scope

分类： technology

  • ‘Ask Dealia’ app launches to help find deals, events

    ‘Ask Dealia’ app launches to help find deals, events

    Barbados has entered a new era of digital consumer convenience this week with the official launch of Ask Dealia, an AI-integrated mobile and web application designed to reconfigure how both locals and visitors shop, track local events, and access price information across the island. Unveiled on Wednesday, the platform marks the second government-backed digital tool launched by the country in two months, following the June debut of Pearlie — a service that streamlines public service requests and citizen reporting of government agency issues.

    At the core of Ask Dealia is its namesake AI assistant, built to deliver personalized consumer support that goes far beyond basic price lookup. Unlike generic comparison tools, the platform consolidates real-time price tracking, promotional alerts, event updates, and tailored product recommendations into a single, accessible digital space, addressing a longstanding pain point for Barbadian shoppers who previously had to travel across the island to compare prices across retailers ranging from grocery chains and hardware stores to fashion boutiques on Broad Street.

    Minister of Business Development and Commerce Kerrie Symmonds emphasized the transformative impact of the new tool during the launch. He noted that for decades, Barbadian consumers faced the unnecessary hassle of visiting multiple physical locations to research prices and find the best deals across the island’s diverse retail landscape. With Ask Dealia, that entire process shifts to a centralized virtual marketplace, putting all pricing, promotional, and event information directly into users’ pockets.

    Developed by local digital firm Infolytics, the platform already tracks a massive dataset of more than 400,000 products from 2,000 registered businesses across Barbados, a number that Infolytics CEO Quinn Weekes says continues to grow as more retailers join the platform. Weekes stressed that the app’s AI assistant Dealia is far more than a standard chatbot: she adapts to individual user preferences over time, learning from interactions to identify the deals, products, and local events that align with each user’s specific interests.

    The app also includes user-centric features that set it apart from traditional shopping apps. Shoppers can set custom price thresholds for desired items, receiving automatic notifications when prices drop below their target limit. It also supports event tracking for major local and seasonal occasions, from Father’s Day and Mother’s Day promotions to Barbados’ iconic Crop Over festival, back-to-school sales, and year-end holiday deals. For both residents and tourists, the platform also serves as a curated guide to local events, highlighting happenings that match each user’s preferences.

    Weekes added that the platform will remain iterative, with development teams incorporating user feedback to refine features and improve the overall experience over time. Currently, Ask Dealia is available for access via its official website askdealia.gov.bb and for download on the Apple App Store, with a Google Play Store release scheduled for later this week.

  • Vincy engineer advances career at world’s top semiconductor maker

    Vincy engineer advances career at world’s top semiconductor maker

    Twelve years ago, Devan Peters left his small island home of Belmont, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), for a life-changing opportunity half a world away. What began as a 2014 Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) scholarship to study Mandarin and complete an undergraduate degree has evolved into a rare and remarkable achievement: Peters now serves as an engineer at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the global powerhouse that dominates 70% of the world’s contract semiconductor manufacturing and supplies critical chips to tech giants from Apple to Nvidia.

    As the only known Vincentian employee at TSMC’s Taiwan headquarters and one of just a handful of Caribbean professionals on the company’s roster, Peters’ journey is far more than a tale of individual career success. It is a case study in strategic planning, resilience, and unwavering commitment to lifting up his home country, even as he builds a life thousands of miles from its shores.

    Peters’ path to TSMC was not a given. His first attempt at securing the MOFA Taiwan scholarship in 2013 ended in rejection. Rather than abandoning the goal, he re-applied the following year and earned the award that brought him to Taipei. After a year of intensive Mandarin study at National Taiwan Normal University, he enrolled in Tamkang University’s electrical and computer engineering program – completing his entire bachelor’s degree in Mandarin, a feat few international students attempt. He went on to earn a master’s degree in the same field from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, and today balances a full-time engineering role at TSMC while completing a PhD focused on semiconductor test circuit design.

    Breaking into the hyper-competitive semiconductor sector at a top firm like TSMC required intentional preparation long before Peters ever submitted a job application. Instead of waiting to apply for roles after graduation, he mapped his academic and skill-building journey around industry requirements. “I identified the roles I wanted; for example, integrated circuit designer, then studied the job postings for those roles to see exactly which skills companies were asking for,” Peters explained. “From there, I worked backwards. I chose courses that mapped directly to those requirements and built a project portfolio around them so that when a hiring manager looked at my CV, they immediately saw someone who already fit the role.”

    This strategic approach paid off, landing him interviews with multiple major global tech companies before he accepted his current role at TSMC. Peters notes that technical expertise alone is not enough to succeed in Taiwan’s engineering sector: fluency and commitment to Mandarin are non-negotiable, as most workplaces operate entirely in the local language. He also emphasizes the importance of maintaining full legal compliance for visas, residency, and work authorization – small details that can derail even the most qualified candidate’s prospects.

    Throughout every challenge of his 12-year journey, Peters says his Christian faith, the inspiration of his siblings who pursued overseas higher education, and the support of loved ones kept him grounded. In Taiwan, he particularly credits his wife Shemon Baptiste-Peters and local Vincentian cultural ambassador Peggy Carr for standing by him through every milestone. Before moving to Taiwan, Peters was not a top-performing student, but he refused to let language barriers or his background become an excuse, working steadily to earn strong marks through every Mandarin-taught course.

    Today, as one of the few Black professionals at TSMC, Peters frequently fields questions from curious colleagues about his home country – opportunities he embraces to share Caribbean culture and raise awareness of SVG. Despite building a life and career in Taiwan, he has never lost sight of his goal to give back to the nation he still calls home. He has already begun this work: during a recent visit to SVG, he spoke to students at his alma mater, the SVG Community College’s Technical and Vocational Division, and donated equipment to support both students and lecturers. His long-term plan is to gain enough expertise and experience in the global semiconductor industry to make a meaningful, lasting contribution to SVG’s development when he eventually returns.

    Adjusting to life in Taiwan came with steep challenges, Peters acknowledges. The language barrier creates hurdles in everyday interactions, from opening a bank account to navigating government bureaucracy, and cultural adaptation took time. But today, he speaks highly of his adopted home, calling it “one of the safest, most convenient places I’ve lived thus far,” praising its affordable, high-quality healthcare, reliable public transit, and generally welcoming attitude toward foreigners. “The turning point for me was committing to Mandarin seriously. Once you can operate in Chinese, a completely different Taiwan opens to you, professionally and personally,” he says. “My wife and I have built our life here now. And after all these years, I can say this is a country that rewards people who invest in it.”

    For Caribbean students considering pursuing higher education in Taiwan through the MOFA scholarship program, Peters offers clear, experience-backed advice. He notes that Taiwan provides a uniquely accessible path to a world-class education in high-demand fields like engineering and technology, with tuition and living costs that make it far more financially viable than many Western study destinations. He encourages prospective students to research industry opportunities in their field early, build relevant skills before job hunting, and prioritize Mandarin study from day one – calling language proficiency the single biggest factor in turning a study abroad term into a long-term, rewarding career. He also advises students to prepare mentally for the great distance from home, build local community early, and know that long-term residency and professional success are achievable outcomes for hardworking students.

    “I came here as a student, and I’m still here by choice, all these years later,” Peters says. “Everything I am doing now is a stepping stone towards achieving my full potential. I will always be Vincentian, no matter where I am.”

    This report was produced by Kemarlie Durrant, a Vincentian mass communication and journalism student at Taiwan’s Ming Chuan University, as part of a graduation internship in collaboration with the Embassy of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to Taiwan. Durrant is on track to complete his bachelor’s degree in June 2027.

  • Leidinggevenden getraind om cyberrisico’s beter te herkennen

    Leidinggevenden getraind om cyberrisico’s beter te herkennen

    Paramaribo, Suriname – As government operations grow increasingly digital across the globe, Suriname’s e-Government Directorate (e-Gov) has taken a key step to boost national cyber resilience, hosting a second specialized cybersecurity awareness workshop for senior leaders across all national ministries. Held at Hotel Torarica, the workshop is part of a broader ongoing initiative designed to build threat awareness and strengthen protection for sensitive government data and digital infrastructure.

    The series of training sessions is a joint effort between e-Gov and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), with instruction delivered by experienced IT professionals from leading local cybersecurity firms based in Suriname. The first workshop in the series, held on June 3, was targeted at IT staff and civil servants across a range of public agencies, expanding awareness to frontline public sector workers before the targeted session for top decision-makers.

    Llydion Dalfour, Director of Suriname’s e-Government Directorate, opened the workshop by framing the dual reality of public sector digital transformation. He emphasized that widespread adoption of digital tools has unlocked major benefits for Suriname’s government, including more efficient public services, greater administrative transparency, and improved access to services for ordinary citizens. But Dalfour also stressed that growing digital dependence comes with unavoidable new responsibilities. “Every new digital service, every connected system, every new integration brings new vulnerabilities,” he explained, noting that cybercriminal networks continue to grow more sophisticated and organized each year.

    Dalfour outlined the two core goals of the targeted workshop for senior leaders. First, the session aims to embed a culture of cyber awareness at the highest levels of government, where policy and budget decisions shape the overall security posture of public agencies. Second, the workshop provides practical, actionable technical guidance to help leaders identify emerging cyber risks early and implement effective mitigation measures across their departments.

    Krish Dwarkasing, an IT security consultant at Suriname’s leading OMNI Information Security Consultancy N.V., emphasized the pervasive nature of modern cyber threats in his remarks. As both public and private organizations grow more reliant on data and digital workflows to carry out core operations, protecting that information from internal and external threats has become a core operational priority. “Cybersecurity is fundamentally about safeguarding the data that organizations depend on to function,” Dwarkasing explained. He noted that threats can originate both from outside actors seeking unauthorized access and from internal gaps in training or process, making organization-wide awareness just as critical as advanced technical defenses. To sustain long-term resilience, Dwarkasing added, organizations must also implement clear, formal cybersecurity policies that set consistent standards for all staff.

    Marlon Roosveld, a member of the Suriname Customs management team, highlighted the immediate relevance of the training for his agency, which handles vast volumes of sensitive personal and commercial data on a daily basis. Roosveld noted that a successful cyber attack on customs systems would have far-reaching consequences for national trade, public safety, and citizen privacy, making ongoing staff training and awareness non-negotiable for the agency. “This workshop equips our leadership to address gaps and build a more resilient security posture that protects the critical information we manage every day,” Roosveld said.

  • Dominican 911 explores Boston Dynamics robots for emergency response

    Dominican 911 explores Boston Dynamics robots for emergency response

    In a move poised to transform emergency response operations across the Caribbean nation, the Dominican Republic’s National Emergency and Security System (911) recently convened a virtual collaborative workshop with robotics engineering specialists from U.S.-based Boston Dynamics. The central goal of the gathering was to assess the potential integration of cutting-edge robotic systems into high-stakes rescue and emergency operations.

    During the interactive session, 911 leadership and senior emergency response officials laid out the persistent, life-threatening challenges that first responders confront on a regular basis. These challenges span a wide range of high-risk scenarios, including toxic hazardous material spills, structural building collapses following natural disasters or accidents, large-scale industrial blazes, complex search and rescue missions, and operations in confined, structurally unstable spaces where human entry carries extreme risk to personnel safety.

    To address these gaps, Boston Dynamics led a detailed demonstration of its flagship Spot robotic platform, a quadrupedal robot purpose-built to navigate harsh, dangerous environments that are often inaccessible or unacceptably hazardous for human first responders. Unlike traditional heavy equipment, the Spot system packs a versatile suite of capabilities, including autonomous off-road mobility, remote visual and sensory inspection, real-time on-site data collection, and a range of interchangeable specialized sensors that can be adapted to match the unique demands of any emergency scenario.

    This virtual meeting marks the official launch of a new technical partnership between the two entities, focused on conducting comprehensive evaluations of how advanced robotic technologies can strengthen the Dominican Republic’s national emergency response capabilities. Ultimately, the collaboration aims to boost both the safety of frontline responders and the overall efficiency of rescue operations across the country, setting a potential precedent for other nations seeking to modernize their emergency services.

  • Technology : Why is the BRH interested in Artificial Intelligence (AI) ?

    Technology : Why is the BRH interested in Artificial Intelligence (AI) ?

    Artificial intelligence has emerged as one of the most disruptive technological shifts of the 21st century, reshaping everything from production processes and educational models to workplace dynamics and institutional decision-making. The rapid evolution of generative AI, in particular, has unlocked unprecedented capabilities, allowing users to generate complex analyses, condensed summaries, and original content in mere seconds.

    As the global debate continues over whether AI will ultimately displace large swathes of the workforce or open new pathways for inclusive growth, the Central Bank of Haiti (BRH) has positioned itself at the forefront of preparedness, opting for a proactive strategy that balances pursuit of AI’s transformative benefits with careful mitigation of its inherent risks.

    BRH leadership emphasizes that while AI delivers substantial productivity gains that can accelerate economic progress, it should not be viewed as a replacement for human judgment and specialized expertise. Instead, the bank frames AI as a complementary decision-support tool that amplifies, rather than replaces, human intelligence.

    For developing nations like Haiti that have historically lagged behind in global technological adoption, AI represents a rare opportunity to narrow the global economic divide by expanding production capacity. However, BRH warns that the concentrated control of AI innovation and investment by major economic powers such as the United States and China creates significant risks. Slow, uncoordinated response from developing countries could instead widen existing global wealth gaps, and while employment disruptions from AI have remained contained in major advanced economies to date, the long-term impacts on labor markets—particularly for young workers whose roles are most vulnerable to automation—remain poorly understood.

    BRH has outlined three core priority sectors where AI can deliver outsized benefits to Haiti:
    First, in education, AI offers transformative potential to address longstanding structural challenges. Haiti has long struggled with widespread training gaps and high rates of skilled worker emigration that have eroded the country’s capacity to deliver knowledge to new generations. AI tools can fill critical gaps in human capital development, democratizing access to high-quality educational resources, delivering personalized learning support to students, and upskilling existing teachers without replacing the core role of in-person instruction.
    Second, AI can drive urgent administrative modernization across both public institutions and private enterprises. Automating repetitive administrative tasks, digitizing public and private archival records, improving customer and citizen engagement, and enabling rapid analysis of massive datasets all deliver major efficiency gains. For a country where bureaucratic red tape and administrative inefficiency remain persistent barriers to growth, these improvements can both boost service quality and cut operational costs, generating widespread benefits for overall economic productivity.
    Third, AI can revolutionize Haiti’s natural disaster risk management. Haiti ranks among the most vulnerable countries in the Western Hemisphere to major natural hazards, from hurricanes to earthquakes. AI-powered tools enable real-time collection of geospatial crisis data, predictive disaster simulation modeling, and rapid post-event impact assessments, allowing authorities to implement more targeted mitigation measures that reduce both human casualties and financial losses.

    Despite these promising opportunities, BRH has identified two major systemic risks that require urgent preparation. The first is the potential for a decline in diaspora remittances, which have served as Haiti’s most stable source of capital inflows for decades. If large-scale AI-driven automation displaces workers in host countries with high concentrations of Haitian immigrants, diaspora workers—disproportionately young and less experienced, per a 2026 Goldman Sachs study—would be among the first to lose jobs, directly cutting remittance flows that sustain millions of Haitian households. The second major risk is growing cybersecurity vulnerability: every new generation of AI lowers the technical barriers and cost of launching sophisticated cyberattacks, a threat that leading central banks in the U.S. and U.K. have already moved to address by developing new resilience frameworks for their financial sectors.

    Against this backdrop, BRH has laid out a four-pillar proactive strategy to guide Haiti’s AI transition, rejecting a passive approach to the global AI revolution. First, the bank is prioritizing knowledge development: as a co-founder of the Ayiti IA 2025 summit, BRH has announced the creation of a dedicated AI Fund to foster public discussion and drive widespread adoption of responsible AI across the country. Second, it is already implementing concrete AI applications in institutional research: the BRH Research Directorate is currently using text-based AI to build new, low-cost statistical datasets tracking Haiti’s evolving labor market. Third, BRH will integrate AI into its core regulatory and supervisory missions, using the technology to strengthen financial system oversight, identify emerging systemic risks, and secure national payment systems while upholding strict data protection standards. Finally, the bank has developed a dedicated research and resilience agenda, including plans for AI-focused cybersecurity stress testing and policy recommendations to protect Haiti’s financial integrity from emerging AI-driven threats.

    In conclusion, BRH frames AI as neither an automatic silver bullet for Haiti’s longstanding economic challenges nor an inevitable existential threat. The ultimate success of AI adoption in the country will depend on Haiti’s ability to invest strategically in three core areas: upgraded human capital, strengthened governance frameworks for responsible AI, and expanded digital infrastructure. The central bank has committed to guiding a measured, inclusive transition that positions AI as a driver of long-term, stable economic development for Haiti.

  • Innovation: More than half of Dominican households now have internet access, but significant disparities remain.

    Innovation: More than half of Dominican households now have internet access, but significant disparities remain.

    The latest ENHOGAR 2025 household survey has delivered mixed news for digital progress in the Dominican Republic, marking a landmark milestone in the country’s push for broader digital access while highlighting stubborn gaps that continue to block equitable connectivity for marginalized communities. According to the official survey results, more than 50 percent of all Dominican households now have consistent internet access – a jump that represents one of the most significant advances in national digital inclusion efforts in recent years. Despite this measurable forward momentum, the research team behind the survey has issued a clear warning that deep territorial and socioeconomic disparities still act as major barriers to universal, equal access across the nation.

    The gap between urban and rural regions is particularly stark, the report reveals. In densely populated urban centers, internet connectivity reaches more than 70 percent of all families, giving most city-based households regular access to the digital tools that have become a core requirement for daily life in the 21st century. By contrast, in scattered rural communities across the country, household internet penetration barely climbs above 30 percent, leaving nearly two-thirds of rural families disconnected from the broader digital ecosystem.

    This connectivity gap does not only represent a lack of access to entertainment or communication – it creates tangible, long-lasting limitations that cut across critical areas of daily opportunity. Students in disconnected households struggle to complete remote schoolwork and access digital educational resources, working-age adults cannot take advantage of remote work opportunities that would boost their incomes, and all residents are locked out of essential government, healthcare and commercial digital services that have shifted online in recent years.

    Socioeconomic status further widens this territorial divide, the survey confirms. For households in the highest income brackets, internet penetration is almost universal, with nearly every high-income Dominican home enjoying reliable, high-speed connectivity. For low-income households, by comparison, most can only afford basic prepaid mobile data plans that come with strict data caps, slow speeds and frequent interruptions. These low-cost plans do not support the reliable, high-quality connection needed for activities like remote work, online classes or telehealth appointments, trapping low-income communities in a cycle of digital exclusion.

    Leading Dominican economist Winston Marte, who specializes in development and digital economy policy, argues that closing this persistent divide requires targeted action on two core fronts. To Marte, expanding hard technological infrastructure into underserved rural and low-income urban areas, paired with policy interventions that bring down the cost of internet access for low-resource households, are the two non-negotiable pillars of any effective strategy to bridge the digital gap. In its concluding findings, the ENHOGAR 2025 survey underscores that delivering universal, equitable internet access remains one of the most pressing unmet challenges for Dominican public policy makers as the country works to build a fully inclusive digital economy.

  • Suriname dicht bij tweede internationale glasvezelverbinding via Frans-Guyana

    Suriname dicht bij tweede internationale glasvezelverbinding via Frans-Guyana

    Suriname is set to take a major step forward in expanding its digital connectivity infrastructure, with the country on the verge of securing its second fully independent international fiber-optic link. State-owned telecommunications provider Telesur is scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Monday with SPLANG, a French Guiana-based infrastructure firm, laying the formal groundwork for Suriname’s connection to the new Lum@Link submarine cable system. The partnership marks a critical milestone in the South American nation’s push to strengthen its digital backbone and meet growing demand for reliable international internet access. The new route will grant Suriname access to global digital networks through French Guiana, connecting the country directly to network endpoints in Brazil and Europe. This additional connection will not only boost the overall reliability of Suriname’s international internet services but also unlock much-needed extra capacity for business operations, government services, and everyday consumer use across the country. The historic MoU will be signed by Doric Ramlakhan, Chief Executive Officer of Telesur, and Marie-Lucienne Rattier, Chief Executive Officer of SPLANG. Under the terms of the preliminary agreement, Telesur will gain access to capacity on the 2,180-kilometer Lum@Link submarine fiber-optic cable, which links Cayenne, the capital of French Guiana, to Fortaleza on Brazil’s northeast coast. From Fortaleza, the network connects to the existing EllaLink cable system, which stretches all the way to Sines, Portugal. Launched in 2021, EllaLink already provides a direct high-capacity digital connection between South America and Europe, eliminating the need for data routing through North American network hubs. For Telesur, the new partnership aligns directly with Suriname’s national digital strategy, which prioritizes upgrading and expanding the country’s digital infrastructure to support long-term economic and social development. By adding the Lum@Link route alongside Suriname’s existing single international connection, the country will gain critical network redundancy, significantly reducing the risk of total international internet outage if the primary connection experiences disruptions. This redundancy will translate to higher overall network reliability and expanded international capacity to support growing demand from all user groups. Beyond the Lum@Link partnership, Telesur is already advancing long-term plans to develop its own direct branch of the EllaLink international fiber-optic network that would run to Suriname. If completed, this project would grant Suriname a fully direct independent connection to the global submarine cable network, removing the intermediate routing through neighboring territories. As part of the preliminary MoU, SPLANG has already reserved international capacity on the segments between Cayenne and Fortaleza, as well as between Cayenne and Sines, contingent on the finalization of formal binding agreements between the two firms. Additionally, the deal names Telesur as SPLANG’s preferred partner for wholesale connectivity services across the Suriname market, cementing a long-term strategic collaboration between the two telecommunications entities.

  • Technology : Towards an energy revolution in rural areas

    Technology : Towards an energy revolution in rural areas

    Haiti is poised to deliver a long-overdue energy transformation to its underserved rural communities, as the country’s Office for Monetization of Development Assistance Programs (BMPAD) has launched formal partnership discussions with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to advance a ground-breaking solar electrification project.

    In a landmark first working session, BMPAD Director General Me Stevenson Jacques Thimoléon laid out the details of the Solar Electrification Program for Essential Public Services (PESPE), an initiative designed to expand sustainable, reliable electricity access to Haiti’s most energy-poor rural regions. This meeting marks a critical milestone in BMPAD’s strategy to build international collaboration around renewable energy projects that strengthen core public services for rural Haitians.

    At the core of PESPE is a plan to install stand-alone photovoltaic solar systems at three types of key public facilities located in communes and communal sections with the least consistent access to grid electricity: public primary and secondary schools, community health centers, and local sub-stations of the Haitian National Police (PNH). The overarching goal of the project is not only to expand energy access, but also to reduce stark territorial disparities between urban and rural areas by delivering higher-quality public services to populations that have long been overlooked.

    To ensure efficient, coordinated delivery, PESPE will be led by BMPAD with active participation from a cross-sector coalition of Haitian government institutions, including the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation (MPCE), the Ministry of National Education and Professional Training (MENFP), the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP), the National Institute of Professional Training (INFP), and the Haitian National Police itself. BMPAD is also actively seeking additional technical and financial partners to support full implementation of the initiative, with the inter-agency governance structure designed to deliver coordinated, efficient, and long-lasting outcomes.

    The initiative aligns directly with the Haitian government’s national sustainable development priorities. If all required co-financing from national and international partners is secured, PESPE will draw on a total investment pool of $45 million USD over a 36-month implementation period. As a critical first step to test the model, BMPAD is prioritizing launching a 12-month pilot project that will validate the technical, social, and financial viability of the program before it is scaled up nationwide.

    Beyond just installing solar panels on public buildings, the program includes holistic capacity-building components to ensure long-term sustainability. Local technicians will receive specialized training to maintain the solar installations, community-level management committees will be established to oversee ongoing operations, and the project will position renewable energy as a core driver of inclusive local economic development.

    When fully deployed, PESPE is projected to deliver electricity to 500 rural schools, 300 rural health centers, and 200 PNH rural sub-stations. The far-reaching impacts of this access will include improved learning environments for hundreds of thousands of Haitian students, stronger quality of primary health care for rural communities, reliable cold chain storage to preserve life-saving vaccines at local clinics and dispensaries, and increased operational capacity for law enforcement working to keep rural communities safe.

    Through this initial engagement with the Caribbean Development Bank, BMPAD has reaffirmed its commitment to diversifying its network of technical and financial partners to deliver high-impact economic and social projects. By centering renewable energy as a lever for sustainable development, the initiative seeks to strengthen public services and close the persistent equity gap between Haiti’s urban and rural areas.

    This first formal contact between the two institutions has opened promising pathways for long-term collaboration, with the immediate goal of mobilizing the resources needed to launch the pilot project. That pilot will serve as a foundation for a national program that has the potential to permanently transform access to essential public services and accelerate inclusive development for Haiti’s rural communities.

  • Dominican Republic recognized with WSIS Prize 2026 for regional digital transformation

    Dominican Republic recognized with WSIS Prize 2026 for regional digital transformation

    At the 2026 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum held in Geneva, a landmark recognition was awarded to cross-regional digital governance efforts that are reshaping public sector innovation across the Americas. The Inter-American Digital Government Network (GEALC), currently chaired by the Dominican Republic via the nation’s Government Office of Information and Communication Technologies (OGTIC), has been named the 2026 WSIS Prize winner in the International and Regional Cooperation category.

    The honor, conferred by WSIS forum organizers, celebrates GEALC’s years of consistent work to deepen collaborative ties across member states, expand accessible knowledge sharing between public sector digital leaders, and accelerate inclusive digital transformation initiatives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Accepting the award on behalf of the entire GEALC network was Iván Ogando, the Dominican Republic’s ambassador to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations agency that co-organizes the annual WSIS Forum.

    Under the current leadership of OGTIC Director Edgar Batista, who leads GEALC alongside the Dominican Republic’s administration, the network has prioritized targeted initiatives to advance digital government infrastructure, cross-system interoperability, people-centered public innovation, and peer-to-peer collaboration between national governments. Batista emphasized that the international award serves as a powerful reaffirmation of the Dominican Republic’s longstanding commitment to fostering multilateral cooperation and advancing digital transformation that prioritizes the needs of ordinary citizens.

    Per an official statement from OGTIC, the recognition also brings global attention to the Dominican Republic’s own domestic work to modernize public administration and upgrade core government services through strategic digital innovation. A core function of GEALC is to create structured spaces for member states to exchange tested best practices across a range of high-priority digital governance areas. These include cybersecurity frameworks, trusted digital identity systems, comprehensive data protection regulation, secure electronic signature infrastructure, cross-agency interoperability standards, and guidelines for the ethical and responsible deployment of emerging technologies across the public sector.

    The WSIS Prizes, established to highlight outstanding projects and initiatives that advance inclusive information and communication technology (ICT) development around the world, have become a leading global benchmark for impactful digital cooperation. GEALC’s win underscores the growing importance of regional collaboration in addressing shared digital governance challenges and ensuring that digital transformation delivers broad public benefits across the Latin American and Caribbean region.

  • UWI and Caribbean Telecommunications Union Sign Partnership to Advance Regional Digital Development

    UWI and Caribbean Telecommunications Union Sign Partnership to Advance Regional Digital Development

    On May 28, 2026, two leading Caribbean regional institutions, The University of the West Indies (UWI) and the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), took a landmark step forward in their decades-long collaborative relationship by signing a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at UWI’s Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and Management, located on its Cave Hill Campus.

    The new agreement formalizes a shared strategic vision between the two organizations, both founded to advance the collective interests of Caribbean nations. It codifies a commitment to more intentional, coordinated cooperation to tackle the region’s most pressing digital priorities, spanning inclusive digital development, robust policy frameworks, and strengthened digital resilience. For years, UWI has leveraged its world-class academic expertise to support CTU-led initiatives in policy development and workforce capacity building, from early regional connectivity projects to recent cutting-edge work on artificial intelligence governance and cross-border digital harmonization. The new MoU elevates this informal, ad hoc partnership into a structured, long-term collaboration with a clear action framework.

    Under the terms of the agreement, the partners will work together across a broad range of critical areas: digital policy design and regulatory development, evidence-based research to inform decision-making, targeted capacity building for regional stakeholders, cross-sector stakeholder engagement, advocacy for pro-development digital policies, resource mobilization for regional projects, and the translation of high-level regional digital strategies into on-the-ground implementation.

    Rodney Taylor, Secretary-General of the CTU, emphasized the transformative potential of the formalized partnership in an address following the signing. “This collaboration brings together UWI’s unrivaled academic excellence and CTU’s decades of experience in regional policy leadership to accelerate and strengthen digital transformation across every corner of the Caribbean,” Taylor explained. “As we grapple with fast-evolving global digital challenges, from regulating artificial intelligence to improving data governance, strengthening cybersecurity, and building systemic digital resilience, this partnership will not just help our region keep up with global changes—it will empower us to actively shape those changes on terms that work for Caribbean people. Most importantly, this MoU moves us beyond dialogue to tangible action, delivering outcomes that advance sustainable development and improve lives across the region.”

    The signing comes at a critical juncture for the Caribbean, where digital transformation has emerged as a core driver of economic growth, improved public service delivery, enhanced climate change resilience, and stronger global regional competitiveness. By aligning UWI’s deep academic research and training capacity with CTU’s on-the-ground regional policy mandate, the partnership aims to ensure that the benefits of digital innovation are distributed equitably across all Caribbean communities, delivering inclusive, long-term sustainable growth.

    As a regional university with a physical presence across multiple Caribbean nations, UWI holds a unique position to advance CTU’s mission, drawing on its cross-campus expertise to deliver cutting-edge research, professional training, policy advisory support, and global engagement opportunities. The MoU marks a clear shift from occasional collaborative projects to a cohesive, future-focused partnership designed to proactively shape the evolving digital landscape, rather than simply reacting to external changes.

    The partners have already begun moving forward with implementation, with four initial priorities flagged for immediate action: the co-hosting of a landmark Regional AI Forum in Trinidad, scheduled for July 23–24, 2026; advancing work on cross-regional digital governance and policy harmonization during CTU’s 2026 ICT Week to be held in French Guiana from September 20–24; the formal operational launch of UWI’s Institute for Intelligent Systems, Governance and Human-Centred Technology (INSIGHT); and expanded targeted capacity building programming through the UWI–ITU Academy Training Centre, UWI’s existing collaborative initiative with the International Telecommunication Union. These immediate actions make clear that the partnership is moving rapidly from agreement to delivery, grounded in shared regional priorities and a focus on tangible, people-centered outcomes.

    For additional information about the new partnership, interested parties can contact Ms. Lois St Brice from the Office of Global Affairs at The University of the West Indies.