SRC to Assist Local Innovators

Local innovators will soon benefit from the establishment of a technology commercialisation suboffice that will offer assistance in getting their products on the market.

This follows a partnership between the Scientific Research Council (SRC) and the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ).

A brainchild of the DBJ, the suboffice was initially designed to help universities commercialise research output but will now be extended to all innovators.

Executive Director of the SRC, Dr. Charah Watson, said the office will be created at the Council’s Hope Gardens Complex in Kingston.

“Innovation is happening not just in our universities but in the wider society. The establishment of this suboffice is one critical step to help our innovators get their products on the market. About two years ago, Jamaica moved up in the innovation index, but if you read the report, you would see that there are still gaps. So, we are now moving in a collective way to close that gap,” Dr. Watson said.

She was speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank on February 21, at the agency’s Kingston Headquarters.

The team is currently recruiting a Director to lead the office so work can begin.

“Sometimes the harder part of it (innovation) is going through the commercialisation process. It is a very in-depth process… to get that prototype out, and getting that marketing engagement is a limiting factor. So, our commercialisation suboffice will help with this in some regard,” she explained.

Dr. Watson noted that in addition to providing a support system to innovators, the establishment of the suboffice will lend support to the National Innovation Competition.

This will be staged in November by the National Commission on Science and Technology.