St. George’s, April 17, 2011 (GIS) – Foreign-based companies are reportedly showing interest in partnering with the newly opened ICT Center for Excellence and Innovation (ICEI) in Frequente, St. George’s.

The IECI, a collaboration between the governments of Grenada and India, was officially opened April 15.

The objectives of ICEI, which is equipped with two information technology laboratories, a data room, conference room, and a library and resource center, are to “increase IT knowledge and awareness’’ among Grenadians; and to “generate direct employment through IT.’’  

Senator Arley Gill, Minister of State with responsibility for Information and ICT, said the ICEI has started a chain reaction that will benefit Grenada.

The possibility exists for Grenada to become “the ICT hub for CARICOM,’’ Sen. Gill said in remarks at the opening ceremony, which was also addressed by Grenada’s Prime Minister, Hon. Tillman Thomas, and India’s High Commissioner to Grenada, His Excellency Malay Mishra.

“I am pleased to note that this ICT Center is already beginning to attract some foreign investment to Grenada,’’ the Senator said. “I am informed that companies like Superfund are already on the ground working with the Faculty in different aspects of ICT development. I was pleased to learn that some of these companies like Microsoft may establish some connection with Grenada.’’

The following is the text of the remarks delivered by Sen. Gill:

 

Distinguished Guests;

Ladies and Gentlemen.

I thank you for joining me in this official opening of the ICT Center for Excellence and Innovation.

Grenada, like many other countries, is in the process of transformation to a knowledge society. Information and Communication Technology (ICT), no doubt, will play a pivotal role in enabling this transformation. To realize this transformation, Grenada will rely on an educated and a skilled workforce to generate a knowledge revolution. This is the only sure way for ICT to have positive influence in all spheres of our everyday life and Grenada’s economy. At this occasion, we are witnessing the opening of an ICT facility signifying our readiness to take advantage of ICT-enabled services that will promote growth in all sectors of our society. When we took office in 2008, this ICT Center was one of our most important ICT projects; important because we see this project as addressing the issue of human resource capacity needed in this sector. I would like to place on record our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to His Excellency, the High Commissioner of India, and Government and people of India for making this vision a reality today.

Access to information and knowledge is central to human development. Information enhances the ability to make informed decisions and create an awareness in our citizenry of their rights and responsibilities. Information about markets help entrepreneurs in formulating strategies for commercial activities. Information about scientific and technological discoveries opens up possibilities of working with better techniques. Information about government policies in the fields of administration, commerce, education, finance and health enables individuals and communities to fully take advantage of public programmes. Information flows can be a catalyst for social development and empowerment, as it is an enabler for transparency and good governance. The benefits of ICT must also reach all our parishes, including the remote areas, and be available to every citizen of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

I would like to mention some of the areas where this facility will make direct beneficial impact on our society. 

Education for all

A 21st Century education must be flexible in the sense that it caters for those who want to study during the day or in evening; it should also be flexible in the sense that studying can take place independent of time and space. This faculty will make ICT education convenient and flexible and will lead to efficient utilization of resources and provide high-end training to the students.

Education is critical to national development and economic empowerment.  Once the “National Backbone’’ connecting all the parishes is accomplished through the World Bank CARCIP project, I would like to see this ICT Center providing education to all, from wherever they are, using the ICT infrastructure.   For example, we have primary and secondary education; the vision for Grenada is to have “A graduate, or master’s degree or even a PhD from every home” through exploiting the “National Backbone’’ ICT infrastructure to provide distance education for all who cannot afford to go to school because of personal difficulties.

Industrial Innovations, Research and Development

Countries like China, India, Singapore, and South Korea have developed because of their strong focus on Information and Communication Technology, Science and Education and emphasis on Research, Development and Innovations in ICT.  Wealth is in ideas. Ideas and innovations that are worth patenting are as a result of research. To be able to undertake research, competent human resource is required; that is why we emphasize innovation in this center.

The highest tax payers in the world like Microsoft, Google, IBM and Oracle, are all in the software industry. Their research budgets are in billions of dollars.  I am looking forward to take this initiative to the next level where a very small bit of these companies can support research efforts at this faculty. The result of these research partnerships will lead to new companies, new jobs and new products and services; or the setting up some offshore offices in Grenada, which will provide jobs to Grenadians.

Regional Integration and Regional Center

CARICOM and the OECS, as well as agencies like CARICAD, the World Bank and the European Union are fast-tracking various integration efforts for different sectors, including education. Grenada stands a better opportunity to become a center of excellence in ICT training through this facility. I have been informed that many students from the region are interested in high-end training in the area of ICT education. I can announce that the Ministry of ICT is taking the initiative to create awareness in the region through the ICT road show scheduled for next month here in Grenada.  We will be having industry leaders in the region here with us and this facility will be opened for tours.

Within the region, we should be able to provide premier computer and IT-enabled services. I have no doubt that within the OECS in particular, and CARICOM in general, this facility will be the Centre of Excellence for ICT innovations, research and development. It is possible, within the near future, to have Grenada recognized as the ICT hub for CARICOM. This is part of the fundamental change this government promised three years ago when we came to this office with your support.

Job Creation

This faculty must be used to transfer practical skills to graduates. These graduates have opportunities to be job creators instead of job seekers. The modern computer laboratories created by the Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), an organization from India which develops Super Computers which are used in scientific research and weather forecasting, should enable students to acquire world-class knowledge. The opportunities available world-wide for ICT skilled personnel are numerous. We have been encouraging the private sector from outside and within to invest in outsourcing services for data entry and software development enterprises in Grenada. With hands-on trained graduates, it should be possible to attract investments. We should be having graduates that are conversant with the technological service industry that Grenada has not tapped into.

Business Incubation

The Grenada Industrial Development Corporation and the ICT Ministry in the Prime Minister’s Office, through the software and incubation centre, should become a source for much-needed ICT products that will have direct application in sectors of our society. For instance, EGRIP: we are still facing challenges in getting ICT solutions that can enable the Government to provide services to the citizens. Opportunities are available in institutions like the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Royal Grenada Police Force, the Electoral Commission, etc, which can adopt products developed from this Center to carry out their operations. Financial Management System, Online Payment Application, Data Processing, and Population Census, are some of the activities the Government can carry out in a cost-effective manner through use of the large computing laboratories and modern computing facilities at this Faculty. We are in an era where ICT cannot be ignored or taken lightly if we have to leverage ICT as an economic pillar and become a leader.

Foreign Direct Investment

I am pleased to note that this ICT Center is already beginning to attract some foreign investment to Grenada. I am informed that companies like Superfund are already on the ground working with the Faculty in different aspects of ICT development. I was pleased to learn that some of these companies like Microsoft may establish some connection with Grenada. This facility is triggering off a chain reaction that will benefit Grenada; therefore, by establishing this facility we are making Grenada a modern knowledge-based society and economy. What has made India and the other Asian countries ICT hubs is availability of labour that is appropriately equipped with knowledge. This Center is evidence that we are making a contribution towards turning Grenada into an ICT Hub. With graduating ICT Professionals – Diploma and Certificate professionals – Grenada will be positioned as a prime destination for ICT investments. I am happy that these developments are taking place now; these are the results of our commitment to turning Grenada into a knowledge economy.

The ICT Industry   

Over the past years, Grenada has been trying to ensure that appropriate infrastructure is put in place. As some of you may be aware that the World Bank has come forward with the CARCIP project to assist in funding the “National Backbone’’ for connecting the entire state, which will provide affordable low-cost internet and other solutions. It is gratifying that we witness the opening of a facility that will contribute to the full utilization of the backbone. I am hopeful that the ICT sector in Grenada will experience tremendous growth, especially in the telecommunications sector. This can be attributed to a favourable and conducive environment created in Grenada for investment.

With the increased automation processes taking place both in government and the private sector, the demand for people with the right skills is growing. It is, therefore, appropriate that as a country we should start thinking on how we can use our own resources to produce appropriate solutions that could become revenue earners for both government and private sector.

I do not support the consumption-based economy; we must have the capacity to develop our own applications and technology that could be used to generate revenue for Grenada. I would like to see more support for the locally developed ICT solutions from government and the private sector.

The vision is one day, this center can have its own building with an ICT park that will provide a playground for our young innovators and entrepreneurs.  Soon, Government will table legislation to provide this center with its own legal personality and give it wings so it can fly.

Let me request and encourage other government departments to forge partnerships that would enable them to improve service delivery. I want to assure you of continued government support in realizing our desire of this center becoming the best ICT facility in the region.

I expect that the persons, who will be asked to take duties here will put in long diligent hours, will make this center their second home; will make this center a jealous mistress or a jealous master as the case may be; that they will conquer whatever hurdles they may encounter to make this center a great success.

My expectation is that there will be no lack of energy or will to get things done; that this center will become their passion, if not their obsession.  A lot is expected; this center cannot and must not fail.  It must hold true to the aspirations of our youth and to the burning ideals of technological transformation.  This center is not an end in itself but it is a gigantic step towards technological transformation.  To me, a seed has been planted; let us nurture and care that seed so that when it blossoms, each and every Grenadian can enjoy the sweet fruit of technological advancement and development.

Thank you very much.