EDITORIAL - Get on the path to innovation success
The last few years have been flooded with messages of innovation, creativity and alternatives. From primary school to working level, people have been continuously told of the advantages related to thinking outside of the box with the focus of ‘doing something different’ instead of looking to older, soon to be obsolete methods of making money.
In Barbados, there have been technology expos to encourage new ways of thinking and to get younger generations on the path to innovation success.
However, it seems that Barbados is still struggling to nudge her people in this direction in a meaningful way, and there are still too many who are nervous or unwilling to become a part of the technology creative process. It is evident that we have accepted the rapid advancements in technology judging by the numerous gadgets that are seen daily in the hands of both young and old, but with the increasing ease in doing tasks because of these gadgets, we are losing our curiosity and interest with regard to the gadgets’ origins, how they work and how we can improve on them.
The lack of innovation and creativity is not restricted to the gadgets which we have become accustomed to in everyday use, but in sectors such as agriculture, water, electricity and tourism. One official was recorded a few years ago saying, “You need to find strategies to encourage persons to get into agriculture, whether it is sugar or not, and we need to make it profitable. You also need an environment to entice farmers to continue to produce the crops that they are currently producing”.
The story is always the same. We hear officials offering and reiterating ideas to the public, yet there is way too much room for progress and opportunities are not taken. On the other side of the coin, there are those who allow others to discourage them from making a difference. For many years, Barbadians have had to endure remarks about Barbados’ size and limited space to grow. Such remarks seem to have brought about a general belief that in order for a person to create, benefits will only be widespread if creation is done overseas, and this is far from the truth. Solar heating is one of the success stories that has brought benefits, not just for the creators, but for thousands of people across the island. Now there are solar panels that help to cut down the cost of electricity and many of us have embraced this development.
It has been advised previously that there is much money to be made in innovative creations. One official expressed the wish for the youth to create “simple products and services that would appeal to local, regional and international markets, advancing their financial development and the country’s economy simultaneously...”
The world is being transformed rapidly and the older methods of doing business are more than ever are being replaced because of the fast-paced nature of the world environment. Barbados has been credited with a high literacy rate and there are many Barbadians who are doing great things the world over. Just recently, Alan Emtage was honoured as he was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame on September 18 this year, as the person who created the world's first Internet search engine. We must now continue that level of excellence with regard to innovation to our country.
We must make it happen.