It is clear that companies in the Caribbean now have to be innovative and competitive because preferential arangements with countries outside the region have disappeared. Available data highlights the urgent need for collaboration among business organisations and for additional resources to help firms innovate in ways that directly improve sales performance and commercial success.

The unavailability of accessible micro-finance for new venture creation has been a challenge in many potential entrepreneurs’ lives. Potential youth entrepreneurs have been given nothing more than a promise of microcredit as they continue to struggle to acquire small loans to invest in their business ideas and/or grow their entrepreneurial ventures

For more than three decades successive governments have promised major transformation of the public sector to make it more efficient and cost effective. Despite minimal success, these efforts have failed to achieve their majour objectives. Now it appears that the domestic and external conditions are aligned to make success possible.

The Jamaica Open Data Portal, launched in 2016 is designed to be a central online location for the publication of government data. It holds huge potential for business and researchers to use data to realise national development goals.

Warm, engaging, sincere and easy to talk with— words that sum up typical first impressions of Courtney Campbell, Victoria Mutual Building Society’s Group President and Chief Executive Officer. Later, the mind of a strategist, love for people and deep commitment to service begin to emerge along with evidence that he is a born leader and motivator with a talent for turning business challenges into success stories.

The term “Big Data” is no longer confined to the foreign vernacular of scientists, technologists and geeks. It has now become part of mainstream media and popular culture, pervading the spectrum from McKinsey global studies to Dilbert commentaries.

In a world governed by smartphones, GPS, intelligent thermostats and seemingly ‘independent’ appliances that can practically do anything … data drives our every move today. This is fast becoming Jamaica’s everyday reality too, with over 80% of the smartphones used by Jamaicans actively using mobile data