The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations, and Sustainable Development has partnered with key stakeholders within the public and private sectors to formally launch the Decade of Research and Innovation (2019-2029) under the theme: “Unleashing our Creativity, Crafting Our Destiny.”

The overarching aim of this Decade of Research and Innovation is to stimulate and develop a culture of innovative scientific thinking and analysis with nationally driven research studies designed to offer sustainable solutions to socio-economic issues within our local context, and foster apolitical, sustainable and evidence-based decision making.

This Decade of Research and Innovation aims to reduce our prolonged reliance on metropolitan countries to offer solutions to issues that impact us as a Small Island Developing States, as well as maximise opportunities for infusing innovations across the national economy that foster sustainable national development and visionary problem-solving.

Minister for Education, Innovation, Gender Relations, and Sustainable Development, Hon. Dr. Gale Rigobert, in 2018 welcomed the challenge by the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, to declare a decade of research and innovation to coincide with Saint Lucia’s 40th anniversary of independence. Minister Rigobert welcomed the challenge and has since then been championing our efforts to declare the decade.

Throughout the planning for the launch, Minister Rigobert has been appealing to all Saint Lucians to see themselves as innovators with infinite potential to contribute to the development of the people of Saint Lucia. Some of the key outputs of the decade will include a database of local research, lecture series for sharing information on local research and an innovation hub for aspiring entrepreneurs.

The launch was held on Feb. 18, at the Finance Administrative Centre (5th Floor), at Pointe Seraphine, Castries.