Executive Director of Invest SVG Bernadette Ambrose-Black says that her organization is a firm believer that in order to turn a creative idea into an innovation, the idea has to first be developed.

This she says is one of the reasons that Invest SVG exists, to help nurture ideas and create alliances that can positively affect economic development.{{more}}

The executive director recently returned from the VIII Americas Competitiveness Forum 2014, which was held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, from October 8 to 10, 2014.

Ambrose-Black and executive director of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Chamber of Industry and Commerce Anthony Regisford made up the local delegation that attended the Competitiveness Forum.

During the forum, participants heard about, “Tapping the Human Imagination for Sustainable Business Creation” and “Resilience, Competitiveness and Innovation,” among other topics, while delegates had the opportunity to meet privately with selected Keynote Speakers and Panelists.

Ambrose-Black said that the SVG delegation attended most of the sessions and participated in discussions on financing business, investment and growth, energy competitiveness and innovation, innovation in education and service industry as a driver of innovation.

“Both the Chamber and Invest SVG have made relevant links that would assist in propelling private sector development both in terms of business innovation initiatives, as well as the creative industries such as fashion,” said Ambrose-Black during an interview.

She said that Regisford and herself met with Anya Ayoung-Chee (winner project runaway 2011) and Kyle Maloney, who is a young entrepreneur in the electrical and energy management solutions field.

“Invest SVG will be working together with the Chamber to see how these two individuals can impart their experiences and knowledge to persons in similar fields here in SVG,” said Ambrose-Black.

The VIII Americas Competitiveness Forum’s theme sought to encapsulate the objectives agreed to in the Consensus of Santo Domingo, 2011, while recognizing that the roots of competitiveness lie in fostering and exploiting advantages.

Ambrose-Black said that traditionally, attention is paid to competitiveness of firms, how they compete and how they add to the competitiveness of value chains.

“In examining these theories, we must ask, where is the individual in all of this and where does innovation come from?” said Ambrose-Black, who stressed that within the framework of this paradigm, the human imagination emerges as the centrepiece of the Forum.

Commenting on the Trinidad visit, Regisford said that a wide cross-section of people in innovation and entrepreneurship was there.

He said that the conference had a lot to offer in terms of networking with people who are on the global cutting edge of business.

Regisford revealed that they are looking at bringing some of the presenters here to talk to local entrepreneurs and share ideas and interact along the line of entrepreneurship and innovation, as they have made a number of viable contacts.

“It was good to be there to interact and hear from global thinkers and global successful business men who thrive on innovation and ideas,” said Regisford.