News

Members of the Royal Academy of Engineering are scheduled to visit Barbados from October 3-7 on a mission to raise awareness about the Leaders in Innovation Fellowship (LIF) Global programme. The programme brings together the emerging leaders in the global innovation community, providing them with access to high-quality skills training focused on commercialisation, a network of peers in their own country, the UK and around the world, and a rich and varied experience with clear immediate and long-term benefits.

Persons interested in meeting with the academy members can contact jsargeant@bidc.org for scheduling.

LIF Global brings together the emerging leaders in the global innovation community, providing them with access to high-quality skills training focused on commercialisation, a network of peers in their own country, the UK and around the world, and a rich and varied experience with clear immediate and long-term benefits.

Who can apply?

The programme welcomes individuals with an interest in entrepreneurship and have an engineering-based innovation comporting a small-scale prototype, with potential to contribute to the social and economic development of their country.

What does it involve?

The training is highly tailored to each participant’s unique goals and challenges, as well as covering business fundamentals like business modelling, sales and marketing, leadership, value proposition and finance. The selected cohort will benefit from 1:1 mentoring with experts, events in-country and in the UK, as well as lifetime membership of a thriving LIF alumni community.

To date, more than 1000 innovators from 19 countries have come through the programme. They have gone on to secure more than $80 million of public and private finance for their businesses, and created over 2500 jobs.

For more information about the programme, please visit the LIF Global page.
Information on how to apply will be available on the same webpage in September.

Access to cheap renewable energy is a key to energy security

 

Enabling technologies took center stage when the CleanTech Cluster Barbados (BLOOM) and Atom Solutions Incorporated hosted a third CleanTech dialogue session aimed at helping to transform the Barbados economy.

 

During this final dialogue held on Friday, November 26, 2021, Project Coordinator and CEO of Atom Solutions Incorporated, Dr. Erwin Edwards, referred to the thrust towards greater use of renewable energy and smart technologies and emphasized that a business’ ability to manage their costs is critical to their competitiveness. He said this would help push costs down within companies, and there is the added benefit of reducing emissions, which aids in the national efforts to become emissions-free by 2030.

 

Dr. Edwards said, “Energy in Barbados is expensive compared to the rest of the world. In Trinidad, you may be looking at six cents per kilowatt; here, you’re looking at between 30 and 40 cents. So when you look at the cost structure for businesses, energy is pretty high. So if you can zoom in on some of the higher costs in your cost structure, then you have an opportunity to make the business more competitive”.

 

Programme Manager Energy, Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS and CARICOM/CARIFORUM, Kyle Farnum, also speaking during the forum, said that the EU is doing extensive work in the area of energy. In fact, he indicated that 27 percent of their last funding cycle (2014-2020) were related to energy projects, including the Public Sector Smart Energy Programme in Barbados. 

 

“In terms of the Public Sector Smart Energy Programme, we’ve been able to install about three megawatts of PV [photovoltaic] installations. In the end, I think we’ll be able to get up to 4.3 MW [megawatts]”.

 

He explained that the new seven-year funding cycle commenced this year, and 17 projects had been approved at that time through its regional blending mechanism – the Caribbean Investment Facility (CIF).

 

Mr. Farnum, referring to the process for securing funding under the CIF, stated that half of the resources allocated to projects approved under the CIF are focused on sustainable energy and energy efficiency mechanisms. He noted that is indicative of the region’s goals to transition from fossil fuels to more sustainable forms of energy. 

 

Advisor on Competitiveness and Export Promotion at Caribbean Export, Markson Gill, said that Agency also supports greening the economy. Mr. Gill explained that not only do they recognize the negative impact that the traditional energy infrastructure can have on the competitiveness of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, given the high cost of electricity, but they are aware that the region is highly vulnerable to external price shocks. 

 

“You also have energy supply security concerns, such as could occur in the disruption of global supply chains. The recent events in Barbados, especially with our category one hurricane experience, showed us how vulnerable our conventional centralized energy systems can be to disaster events… Also, we are very cognizant of the growing importance of environmental, social and governance concerns in global supply chains,” he stated.

 

Among the other highlights was a robust panel discussion featuring Andy Armstrong and Roberts Hinds from the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Dr. Edwards on improving the use of renewable energy in the business community, including the tourism sector.

 

In his closing remarks, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Cluster Manager, Jari Aaltonen, lauded the various presenters from the public and private sectors for the knowledge imparted over the three days. He said such discussions are critical to developing the green economy and advancing CleanTech generally. 

 

Mr. Aaltonen added, “My sincere hope is that we can continue these policy dialogues in the coming months and years”.

 

In total, more than 60 persons participated in the dialogues over the three days. 

Ocean Innovation Challenge is looking for new business ideas in the Blue Economy

BRIDGETOWN-The Ocean Innovation Challenge 2022 is a call to business innovators in the Blue Economy.  The Challenge is designed to support Barbados-based private sector firms to create new innovative products and services, increase market share or compete globally.  The initiative will provide technical and financial assistance through counterpart financing to allow companies to convert and/or scale their innovative business propositions that address specific challenges within the Blue Economy, while contributing to the creative and sustainable management of oceans and coastal resources as the basis of livelihoods, food security and the advancement of the ‘blue economy’ in Barbados.

The Challenge calls for innovations that are scalable, utilize emerging technology, and can achieve maximum impact.

Innovation can include new or adapted approaches, products, technologies or solutions.

While there are a myriad of challenges in the Blue Economy waiting for a viable commercial, scalable solution, this challenge seeks to prioritize innovation around Barbados’ national priorities.  If you are a start-up or private sector firm operating in the Blue Economy, you are invited to submit your business proposal for innovative solutions that utilize relevant cutting-edge technology wherever possible.  The proposal must be able to be piloted in Barbados in any one of the following challenge areas:

1. Fisheries: Exploring sustainable fishing practices to avoid resource depletion, overfishing and destructive fishing practices. 
2. Mariculture development:  Exploring quality and scalability in the process of breeding, rearing, and harvesting of marine plants and animals.  Exploring (new) products that can be developed for further commercialization and export. E.g. Is there a model to ensure sustainable ocean farming? How can technology accelerate production or enable access to new markets with existing products?
3. Marine biotechnology: Exploring the creation of new products and processes for export from marine organisms through the application of biotechnology, molecular and cell biology, and bioinformatics.  What are some of the pharmacological uses of plants and animals from Barbados’ Exclusive Economic Zone that can be developed into new products for export?
4. Waste management: Exploring the use of biotechnology and recycling to reduce waste in our oceans or convert waste into new products for export – e.g. sargassum seaweed.
5. Data collection: Exploring the collection and management of real-time data from our oceans economy that can potentially support planning and/or policy making.
6. Energy: Exploring the harnessing of energy from the sea to supplement our national energy requirements and goals.

 

Up to USD$100,000 in non-reimbursable technical assistance grants from Compete Caribbean are available to selected firms to implement their Blue Economy innovation project in Barbados. Deadline for submission of applications is by May 2, 2022 at 6 pm (AST).

More information about this call is here

https://form.jotform.com/220825287298062

Emerging Green Technologies on Spotlight in Cleantech Sector Dialogues

The CleanTech Cluster Barbados (BLOOM) in conjunction with Atom Solutions Incorporated, provided new insights into Green Emerging Technologies on 25 November 2021, as part of a national effort to promote Clean Technology in Barbados, as the country seeks to become the most advanced green circular economy in the Caribbean and Latin America by 2025.

BLOOM is a sustainable energy and climate technology (CleanTech) cluster hosted by the Export Barbados (BIDC). It was created through a partnership with the Ministry of International Business and Industry (MIBI) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), which is providing technical assistance.

With greater focus being placed worldwide on products, services and processes which can improve energy efficiency, while reducing negative environmental impacts, Barbados is getting involved in that revolution. As part of that effort, BLOOM and Atom Solutions Inc. hosted a three-part series of online dialogues on 24-26 November 2021 to connect stakeholders, existing and potential, with the information they require to successfully operate in the sector.

The second webinar took place on Thursday, November 25, bringing together a team of experts to examine issues related to the advantages of digitalization in fostering Green Economy, the use of biofuels in transportation and development of large-scale RE utility projects in Solar PV and Wind Power. Participants attending this session were able to hear about the work of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and New Technology on digitalization of public sector services, new solar and wind power projects initiated by Barbados National Oil Corporation Limited (BNOCL) and how to manufacture biofuels by utilizing rum distillery waste (University of West Indies), and how their work could potentially advance the utilization of new and emerging green technologies in Barbados.

Addressing the forum, Director of Science, Market Research and Innovation at MIST Charles Cyrus, painted a picture of how the use of digital technologies has been accelerated across the country, particularly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Cyrus also noted what further steps are needed, in both the public and private sectors, to advance their use even more.

“We know that there are significant benefits to the use of ICTs or digital technologies for increasing productivity, maintaining the competitiveness of your business or operations, improving customer service and interactions between firms and the various stakeholders. And the last one, this is a very big one, ICTs assist in forcing innovation,” Mr. Cyrus indicated.

The Director of Science, Market Research and Innovation, referred to some of the major Government-led digital technology projects, including the digitalization and consolidation of ICT infrastructure; the upgrading of government data centre; and the soon to be rolled out national digital identification card. He described the latter as a “big project” that will have a transformative effect on how people do business with the Government, which will improve service delivery in the public sector, and is critical to the modernization of the public sector and Barbados in general.

On the matter of energy production, the presentation from the Operations Manager of BNOCL, Terrence Straughn highlighted what steps were being taken by the state-owned oil company to make greater use of renewable energy to help meet the various energy needs of the country.

Mr. Straughn stated, “We are deploying a 4.1 megawatt system throughout the Woodbourne oilfields, and we actually have another system coming online in probably next two years, which is going to be located at the BNTCL [Barbados National Terminal Company Limited]. In Wind Power, we are planning up to 10 MW capacity in the future, both onshore and offshore wind. We are currently in the process of carrying out a wind power feasibility study to identify suitable locations”.

The BNOCL’s Operations Manager, also indicated that consideration is being given to using clean energy solutions such as biogas, green hydrogen, and methane batteries, among others.

Mr. Straughn continued, “We have a potential in the next 12 months, for about 15 projects coming on stream, and in terms of our commercial projects that will total capacity approximately 10 MW or so that we will be introducing to the grid”.

Thursday’s session also featured presentations from lecturer at the Cave Hill Campus, Dr. Legena Henry and recent graduate, Karyl Pivott on research done at the University of West Indies in biofuels and biomethane by utilizing rum distillery waste as a raw material. The online event concluded with a discussion on RE, led by Jerry Franklin, former President of BREA and Destine Gay of the Ministry of Energy.

Dialogue 2 audio recording on Emerging Green Technologies is available here

BRIDGETOWN- 3 Barbadian startup entrepreneurs were selected for the Leaders In Innovation Fellowships ( LIF) programme organized by the Royal Academy of Engineering on 17 December 2022. LIF 2022 Global programme will be implemented on January-September 2022 both in-country and in the UK. The LIF programme is consisting of 4 phases including onboarding, virtual accelerator, in-country events and UK residential where startup entrepreneurs will be given opportunity to meet other LIF programme participants, business partners and funders. Visits to leading UK business and technology hubs will be also organized during UK residential in June 2022.

The following 3 Barbadian entrepreneurs/startups were selected for the LIF Programme in 2022; Kerri-Ann Bovell, EcoMycö, Bloom incubatee, Andre Murrell, Iron Charging Solutions, Bloom Incubatee and Cherith Pedersen, Eco-friendly personal hygiene products, private entrepreneur.

Altogether seventy entrepreneurs working to further the UN Sustainable Development Goals from 10 countries have been selected for the 2022 Leaders In Innovation Fellowships (LIF) Global Programme. Participants will receive entrepreneurship and commercialization support from the Royal Academy of Engineering to accelerate the development of businesses and innovations that address variety of challenges from food security and disease prevention to plastic waste and electrifying transport.

LIF has attracted international praise and strengthened partnerships between nations since its launch in 2015, with its companies catalyzing more than 2600 jobs around the world and securing more than $86 million in funding.

Barbados and Romania join the programme this year as new partner countries, with innovators selected for the ingenuity of their projects, and their potential to contribute to development goals. Supported by the UK Government´s Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the ten partner countries of LIF Global 2022 are: Barbados, Brazil, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Romania, and Thailand.

Green Circular Economy on Spotlight in Cleantech Sector Dialogues

The CleanTech Cluster Barbados (BLOOM) in conjunction with Atom Solutions Incorporated, provided valuable insight into the area of the Circular Economy on 24 November 2021, as part of a national effort to promote Clean Technology in Barbados, as the country seeks to become a green circular economy.

BLOOM is a sustainable energy and climate technology (CleanTech) cluster hosted by the Export Barbados (BIDC). It was created through a partnership with the Ministry of International Business and Industry and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), which is providing technical assistance.

With greater focus being placed worldwide on products, services and processes which can improve energy efficiency, while reducing negative environmental impacts, Barbados is getting involved in that revolution. As part of that effort, BLOOM and Atom Solutions Inc. hosted a three-part series of online dialogues on 24-26 November to connect stakeholders, existing and potential, with the information they require to successfully operate in the sector.

The first webinar took place on Wednesday, November 24, bringing together a team of experts to examine issues related to the Circular Economy. Participants attending the session were able to hear about the work of the IDB funded Compete Caribbean Program and the ITC´s GreenToCompete initiative , and how their work could potentially impact the development of the Circular Economy.

Project Coordinator and CEO of Atom Solutions Incorporated, Dr. Erwin Edwards spoke at length on the role of the Fair Trading Commission in respect of consumer protection, indicating that there are a number of companies looking at producing new products in the CleanTech space by way of recycling, and it is important that those companies fully understand what is expected of them vis-à-vis their customers and that entrepreneurs operating in the space, have access to the information that would help them produce products that would be acceptable to customers and would comply with international standards.

Adding to the discussion, Dr. Sylvia Dohnert, Executive Director, Compete Caribbean, spoke of the US$27 million multi-donor Compete Caribbean Partnership Facility, which seeks to stimulate economic growth, increase productivity and promote innovation and competitiveness in the region through technical assistance.

She explained the facility is currently financing 47 technical assistance projects throughout the region, including Barbados, and the focus is on supporting projects that present commercial opportunities with a prospect of sustainable profitability and growth.

To date, they have issued calls for projects in various sectors including the blue economy and the circular economy said Dr. Dohnert, adding that “In the blue economy calls we have had more recently good news, there are more companies working in the sector than before, and in terms of the circular economy projects, which is a subject of this dialogue, 28 percent of the submissions that we got in the two calls that we did, one on 2019 and one in 2020, were circular economy projects”.

Dialogue participants also heard an interesting presentation about sustainable production and resource efficiency. Ms Majda Grine, Project Manager, ITC’s GreenToCompete Initiative and Manager of the GreenToCompete Hub-Caribbean Project spoke about the resource efficiency and circular production for small and medium businesses and how GreenToCompete initiative is supporting MSMEs to leverage trade to seize the opportunities of the green economic transition. ITC is the joint cooperation agency of UNCTAD and WTO for business aspects of trade development. https://www.intracen.org/itc/about

Participants also heard from Stephanie Pemberton, a practitioner in the circular economy, on how to launch projects with MSMEs in this sector.

Dialogue 1 audio recording on Green Circular Economy is available here.

 

The Cleantech Cluster Barbados (BLOOM) Presented BDS$100,000 in Business Incubator Grants

 BRIDGETOWN– The Cleantech Cluster Barbados (BLOOM) awarded grants of BDS$20,000 to five companies from its incubator programme on Tuesday 11 January 2022. Launched in 2018, BLOOM is a landmark initiative for the Barbados Investment and  Development Corporation, currently trading as Export Barbados (BIDC), that seeks to promote cleantech entrepreneurship and the commercialization of new cleantech innovations. The Cleantech Incubator Programme is a sub-component of the BLOOM Cleantech cluster and it is jointly funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Ministry of International Business and Industry (MIBI), Export Barbados (BIDC).

The manager of the BLOOM, Jari Aaltonen, said that he was pleased that all the companies entering the incubator have completed most of the assignments from the pre-incubator agreement signed with the BIDC and Bloom in 2020. He said that the incubatees “demonstrated commitment, discipline and ability to learn new business and management skills.” Although there is still some work to be done to complete all obligations, the UNIDO and BLOOM have decided to provide them with incubator awards.

Receiving awards were Simera Crawford, Executive Founder of Caribbean Environment Management Bureau; Robert Goodridge, COO and Aria Goodridge CEO of Goodridge Power Inc.; Joshua Forte, CEO of Red Diamond Compost Inc.; Deandra Crawford, Owner of The Green Collective 246, and Leiska Evanson of Healing Grove Container Farm.

CEO of Export Barbados (BIDC) Mark Hill thanked the incubatees for reaching this stage of their startup development. He said that BLOOM sits as a central component of Export Barbados’ life sciences sector expansion plan. “The data has indicated that our economy’s greatest potential and competitive advantage lies within the life sciences. Our labour resource orientation, comparative wage competitiveness, and untapped export potential paint a clear picture of opportunity. This opportunity is well-positioned within our policy environment, as the Government of Barbados has set the 2030 transformation goal of being 100% renewable energy powered and carbon neutral.” Hill said that with this in mind, Export Barbados is seeking to expand the BLOOM brand further to include the establishment of industrial-scale bio-energy projects.

Representing the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (BCCI) Green Committee, Chairman Andy Armstrong said that the issue of sustainability and green economy had been a primary focus for the BCCI as it sought to respond to the climate change crisis. The well-known entrepreneur said that the BCCI sits on several boards and collaborates with several agencies toward helping Barbados achieve the ambitious goal of attaining all its energy from renewable sources by 2030. He, therefore, commended the incubatees on their businesses and offered all the companies in the BLOOM incubation programme a free year’s membership to the BCCI.

This is the second round of awards presented by the BLOOM. The first round was presented in June 2021. The Cleantech Incubator provides business advisory services, including business planning assistance, coaching, and mentoring, matchmaking services, and access to grants, projects, and private financing to select startups.  In addition to this incubator grant BLOOM will issue another grant meant solely for R&D purposes including prototyping, development of Minimum Viable Product (MVP), product validation and testing etc. Another grant award ceremony is planned for March for select startups. The Bloom Cleantech Incubator currently has agreements with 11 startups.

More information about BLOOM Cleantech Incubator Award Ceremony is available here:

https://sites.google.com/prmrinc.net/bloomcleantechawards/home

BRIDGETOWN-Calling engineers and innovators in Barbados.

Applications are now open for Leaders in Innovation Fellowship (LIF) Global programme by
Royal Academy of Engineering, supporting entrepreneurs tackling economic and social
challenges in their local communities, who together are making a difference
globally.

To date, the 1000+ community of the Royal Academy of Engineering Leaders
in Innovation Fellowship alumni have secured more than $80 million of public
and private finance for their businesses, and created over 2500 jobs. Join the
network of  Innovation Leaders by becoming a part of the LIF Global
programme and accessing unrivalled entrepreneurship training to bring your
engineering innovation to its full commercial potential.

Apply by 22 November to join the community of 1000+ innovators in 17
countries who have received bespoke training and commercialization support,
contributing to sustainable development around the world
https://bit.ly/2YFTR3U

Instructions to applicants:

https://www.raeng.org.uk/global/sustainable-development/leaders-innovation-fellowships/how-to-apply

 

BRIDGETOWN- 2020 was a year of unprecedented challenges. Nevertheless, Bloom Cleantech Cluster was determined to not only survive, but to thrive. In September 2020, the Bloom Cleantech Cluster launched an extensive online capacity building training program, which was focused on skills development for project staff and start-up owners. The training covered topics such as fostering green business growth, validating business ideas, business modelling, how to finance your start-up, with and without venture capital (VC), and circular economy and circular business models. Online training courses were delivered by University of New South Wales, University of Maryland and London Business School and The International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ILOITC). Most of the courses were delivered through the Coursera platform. The inclusive and innovative approach of the Bloom Cluster has increased the commitment of local start-ups to scale up, validate and commercialize their business ideas.

Working with young start-ups and new business development projects has great economic and job creation potential. At the moment, the Bloom Cleantech Incubator is established with 10 incubatees, whose business models and business plans are under development, in cooperation with the Cleantech Cluster members. Three of our start-ups have shown remarkable progress during the incubation program and gained international recognition.

 

Kerri–Ann Bovell, EcoMycö

Bloom Cleantech incubatee Kerri-Ann Bovell has raised remarkable international visibility in global start-up competitions, calls and global pitching events and has already won many international awards including the Bloom Cleantech Incubation award 2021 and the CIBC First Caribbean SEED Business plan award (winner) in 2021. She was successfully accepted into the UNDP’s Blue Lab and went on to win a UNDP Blue Lab Accelerator Award in 2020. Prior to that, in 2019, Bovell participated in the ClimateLaunchpad[i] Barbados boot-camp and was the national runner-up at the ClimateLaunchpad (CLP) Barbados finals. She was among 2 teams selected to represent Barbados at the CLP Global Grand Finals in the Netherlands in 2019.

 

Simera Crawford, Caribbean Environmental Management Bureau (CEMBI): BiteGreen Market web platform

Bloom Cleantech Incubatee, CEMBI CEO, Simera Crawford and her BiteGreen Market web platform app won a $50,000 USD grant from the GEF small grants program in 2020. The BiteGreen Market web platform and app is aimed at enhancing the Circular Economy for overall operational efficiency of businesses and integrating environmental preservation, and other sustainable actions, into mainstream society through everyday activities.

 

Joshua Forte, Red Diamond Compost

Joshua Forte, Founder of Red Diamond Compost, has achieved remarkable international recognition with his start-up that is developing green agrochemicals for organic farmers and growers. His latest awards include a British Commonwealth Innovation award winner in 2021 and a 2020 TIC Americas Caribbean Innovation Competition (CIC) win. Out of 2085 registered teams, Red Diamond Compost emerged the number one champion with their Climate Adaptation Ecosystem Initiative. In 2019, Red Diamond Compost also participated in the CLP Barbados boot-camp and final pitching competition. Red Diamond Compost was awarded a 1^st place victory that qualified them to represent Barbados at the CLP Global Grand Finals in the Netherlands.

Bloom has supported incubatees by providing them with certified training and individual coaching services where business modelling and validation have been the focus.

30% of the Bloom Cleantech incubatees including CEMBI, EcoMycö and Red Diamond have demonstrated excellent resilience and determination in their pitching and commercialization efforts in highly competitive global forums in the Caribbean region and Europe.

Other Bloom Cleantech incubatees, like Green Collective 246 and OnSolar Solutions, have demonstrated excellence and determination in completing their first product development pilot projects and have demonstrated their product and market know-how to their customers. According to international incubation standards, Bloom incubatees have managed very well in global competitions in raising visibility and international grant financing.  In less than 2 years, 3 of our startups have won 5 international awards from the British Commonwealth, GEF SGP, UNDP Blue lab accelerator, First Caribbean bank and Caribbean Innovation Competition executed by Young Americas Business Trust. This is an important success indicator for the Bloom Cleantech Incubation Program.

Barbadian entrepreneurs, especially startups, have been limited in their ability to develop, plan, install and maintain new, green technologies. With a focus on sustainable energy technology innovation, industrial development and entrepreneurship, Bloom is building partnerships between the Barbados government, local businesses, citizens and the academic community. Through these partnerships, Bloom is positioned to help Barbadian cleantech projects and entrepreneurs flourish.

[i] The Climate Launchpad (CLP) is the world´s largest green business ideas competition. CLP´s mission is to unlock the world´s cleantech potential  that addresses climate change. The competition creates a stage for those ideas. Climate Launchpad is part of the Entrepreneurship offerings of EIT-Climate KIC.

Learn more:

https://gisbarbados.gov.bb/blog/bidc-congratulates-red-diamond-compost/

https://barbadostoday.bb/2021/08/27/cibc-firstcaribbean-uwi-sign-mou/

https://www.bb.undp.org/content/barbados/en/home/accelerator-lab-barbados-and-the-eastern-caribbean/innovators.html

https://sgp.undp.org/spacial-itemid-projects-landing-page/spacial-itemid-project-search-results/spacial-itemid-project-detailpage.html?view=projectdetail&id=29793

https://www.thecommonwealth.io/award-winner/red-diamond-compost-inc/

BRIDGETOWN- Five cleantech entrepreneurs were recently recognized for their green inventions as a part of the Bloom Cleantech Incubation Programme. Awards ceremony was held in Bagnall’s Point Gallery in Pelican Village and the event was inaugurated by Mr. Mark Hill CEO of Export Barbados (BIDC) and Mrs. Misha Lobban Clarke, Executive Director of Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI). The BLOOM Cleantech Cluster, which is a collaboration among Export Barbados (BIDC), UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Global Environment Facility, Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Ministry of International Business and Industry, was launched on May 2019 as part of the ‘National Strategic Plan 2005-2025’ to make Barbados a ‘green circular economy’ and promote sustainable energy technology innovation. Incubatees underwent several online training courses, workshops and coaching sessions over 10 months in green energy, business modelling, and financial management, under the guidance of assigned project managers. All awarded incubatees secured $ 20 000 BDS grant to fund their projects. Awarded incubatees were Mr. Dario Alleyne, CEO of BIM EV Rental Services, Mr. Julian Clarke, Managing Director of OnSolar Renewable Energy Solutions, Kyle Albert, Founder of ProSolar246 Inc, Kerri-Ann Bovell, Founder of EcoMycö, and a team from Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology (SJPI). BLOOM is a national, sustainable energy and climate technology cluster based in Barbados with a regional and international focus. BLOOM coordinates and provides business advisory services for its members in project financing, market research, innovation management, and product commercialization. Bloom Cleantech Incubation Center is located at Newton Industrial Park in Christ Church. It takes approximately 2 years for entrepreneurs to complete cleantech incubation programme.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Eastern Caribbean island nation, famed for its beautiful landscapes, pristine white-sand beaches and temperate climate, attracted around a million tourists each year. But with travel restrictions across the globe, tourism all but dried up, and the country’s economy has seen a dramatic downturn. It is estimated that, by the end of 2020, GDP had contracted by 18%, primarily due to a 71% decline in long-stay arrivals over the year.

In these times of instability, the Barbadian government is accelerating its efforts to diversify the economy and rebuild a more sustainable and resilient one. Apart from renewed activity in traditional sectors, the country aims to tap into the new value chains of the emerging global green and blue economy. Barbados not only has ambitious plans to become the first carbon-free small island developing state by 2030, but also intends to become an export leader of cleantech products and services to the Caribbean and beyond.

Cleantech for more resilience

In this context, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), is supporting the Government of Barbados with the establishment of BLOOM, the Caribbean’s first cleantech cluster. Created as public-private partnership, the cluster provides shared resources and services, as well as a makerspace for companies and academia to work on joint projects, solutions and marketing. The cluster is hosted by the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation (BIDC), under the supervision of the Ministry of International Business and Industry.

Mark Hill, CEO of BIDC, said, “Cleantech is part of our “Design It, Make It, Ship It” export and business development strategy, which aims to foster the design of feasible, viable and desirable Barbadian products and services that are well-produced, sustainable and globally competitive, and can be physically shipped or virtually exported across the globe. With the BLOOM cluster we have an important tool to promote local cleantech entrepreneurship and innovation.”

“We can build on the success of the Barbadian solar-thermal industry, which has its origins in the 1970s. Solar thermal water heating reaches over 55,000 consumers today, saving thousands of barrels of oil and CO2 emissions each year. Under the common BLOOM label, we will upgrade existing industry and create new ones, tapping into new technologies and business models, including electric mobility, battery storage, green hydrogen, ocean energy, efficient appliances, waste recycling, bioenergy and the circular economy,” he added.

“The cluster’s sustainable, responsible and impactful investment design-led approach to export development, embraces the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a bedrock for developing Barbadian businesses.

“The days of business-as-usual are over. We’re doing business unusual,” concludes Hill.

Matching businesses, science and beyond

Jari Aaltonen, manager of BLOOM, explains, “The BLOOM cleantech cluster is still a relatively new player in Barbados’ innovation ecosystem as it was launched in 2020 in the midst of a deep economic crisis. As of now, the cluster has 20 members including start-ups, government agencies, chambers and universities.”

“Working with young start-ups and new business development projects has great economic and job creation potential,” says Aaltonen. At the moment, the cleantech incubator is established with 10 incubatees, whose business models and business plans are under development in cooperation with the cleantech cluster members.

The cluster has engaged young cleantech entrepreneurs from the University of West Indies for the incubation programme, offering them high-quality training, individual coaching and mentoring provided by local experts and partly by international training institutions like Coursera and the International Labour Organization. “This combination is the key for accelerated learning,” Aaltonen says.

“The cluster is working at all levels: local, national, regional and global. The country’s first cleantech incubator was established with four experts, which has nearly doubled to seven since, in line with growing demand. The team is working very closely with their start-ups in their first two years, to help them validate their business idea and business model, secure financing, start product development and get their first few clients. Building new skills and capacities is key for the success of any start-up, and, therefore, there is a sharp focus and a lot of attention on organizing online training courses that are compact, innovative, and pragmatic at the same time.

Since 2019, a close cooperation has been established with the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Caribbean Climate Innovation Centre and the International Association of Science Parks to boost strategic partnerships between local and international businesses.

https://www.unido.org/stories/cleantech-entrepreneurs-driving-green-recovery-barbados