Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 06/Nov 10:38

Positioning Trinidad and Tobago for the AI economy

Emerson John-Charles As the world celebrates the unprecedented productivity gains of frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, the question for TT is stark: Are we truly positioned to harness the wealth and opportunities these transformative technologies create? The uncomfortable answer is – not really. The reality check Our performance on global technology and innovation benchmarks tells a story of decline. On the Global Innovation Index, TT ranked 108th in 2024, a steep fall from our peak at 68th in 2008. Harvard’s Atlas of Economic Complexity shows that from 1995 to 2025, the technological and innovative content of our exports has stagnated, showing no real progress in 30 years. Even more concerning, on UNCTAD’s Frontier Technology Readiness Index, our position slipped to 86th in 2025, down from 75th in 2021. The UNCTAD Technology and Innovation Report 2025, along with its Frontier Technology Readiness Index, sheds light on the realities behind the numbers and helps us identify the levers we must pull to overcome the barriers holding us back. The index is built on five sub-indices of ICT, human skills, industrial capacity, finance and research and development, each benchmarked against other countries. For TT, our ICT and human skills are reasonably adequate. However, our industrial capacity and research and development remain critical weaknesses, ranked 122nd and 130th in the world, respectively. These poor scores should come as no surprise. Stakeholders have long voiced concerns about the lack of investment and prioritisation in these areas. Our research and development expenditure remains below 0.5 per cent of GDP, and residents file on average only one patent per year at the Intellectual Property Office. In addition, much of the technology within our manufacturing sector is outdated, with equipment well past its prime. Pockets of promise Despite these disadvantages, there are bright spots worth highlighting. Ramps Logistics ' award-winning AI solution, MAWI, is transforming customs brokerage and is already being exported, generating much-needed foreign exchange. [caption id="attachment_1188771" align="alignnone" width="800"] Emerson John-Charles, chair, Innovation Association of TT. -[/caption] Similarly, Carib Brewery’s $200 million smart manufacturing Line 7 – the largest investment in the history of the Caribbean Development Company – signals a bold step toward industrial modernisation. Both examples reflect an acknowledgement of the global opportunity. Emerging frontier technologies created USD$2.5 trillion in revenue in 2023 alone, a figure projected to rise six-fold to USD$16.4 trillion by 2033. Capturing even a fraction of this wealth could help diversify our economy and reduce dependence on the shrinking oil and gas sector. Addressing our two weak areas of research and development and industrial capacity must therefore be elevated to a national strategic priority. Closing the gaps The UNCTAD Technology and Innovation Report provides a clear roadmap. To strengthen our research and development, we must fortify research institutions and incentivise private sector investment. Our universities should establish AI innovation centres with a focus on patent generation, commercialisation and support for local researchers and inventors. A strong governance framework is equally critical. This means revisiting and updating the National Innovation Policy, creating a National Innovation Agency to co-ordinate the innovation ecosystem and establishing a high-level parliamentary committee on science, technology and innovation. On industrial capacity, the TT Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA) has already championed investment in Industry 4.0 – a drive that deserves active government support. Companies must also be encouraged and trained to implement the national innovation standard (TTS/ISO 56001), thus boosting their innovative capabilities and aligning them with global best practices. Crucially, SMEs require targeted support, which includes training and incentives to adopt and leverage frontier technology tools. Once again, I must underscore the urgency of reinstating an updated National Innovation Policy as the anchor for these reforms. It is also noteworthy that our Caribbean neighbours are making strides: Barbados has seen strong progress in research and development through increased scientific publications and patents in frontier technologies, while Bahamas has strengthened its industrial capacity by boosting high-tech-manufacturing exports. TT has immense potential to join this wave of improvement and share in the vast revenues being generated by AI and other frontier technologies. Our future depends on closing these gaps and strategically investing in new competencies. Breaking away from the status quo will not be easy, but with an economic crisis looming, failing to create an environment that allows our firms to access this new frontier of wealth would be a costly mistake. This guest column was authored by John-Charles. He is an ISO national innovation expert and chair of both the Innovation Association of TT and the National Mirror Committee for Innovation Management at the TT Bureau of Standards.   The post Positioning Trinidad and Tobago for the AI economy appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.