Removal of barriers to digitalization key to Ca technological transform
COUNTRY FOCUS : CARIBBEAN
With limited access to the Internet and high broadband costs , the process of Digital Transformation is fraught with difficulties for the small island states that make up the Caribbean . Despite this , digitization has the potential to drive their economies forward , overcome the challenges of remoteness and mitigate the threat of natural disasters through technological innovations .
Caribbean sea and palms
The upscaling of digital technologies presents a host of opportunities for Small Island Developing States ( SIDS ) in the Caribbean to diversify their economies , upscale manufacturing , gain greater access to global value chains , improve disaster preparedness and solve long standing issues that have caused a strain on their development .
Yet , there is no denying significant obstacles remain , including inadequate digital infrastructure , insufficient training opportunities for women and young people , a growing digital divide , and a lack of data and policy knowledge .
That ’ s according to an expert panel convened by the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit ’ s Digital Series on the topic : ‘ How Information and
Communication Technologies can foster inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Small Island Developing States ’.
Here we hear from some of those experts about the barriers to digitalization and the full extent of its potential .
Amjad Umar , Director and Professor of ISEM ( Information Systems Engineering and Management ) program at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology , said that the Fourth Industrial Revolution and digitalization could yield several gains for SIDS , such as more affordable consumer goods through 3D printing , better monitoring of fisheries through Artificial Intelligence and satellite imaging , and drones for disaster preparedness .
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