The University of the West Indies (UWI) has unveiled the One UWI Research Cluster on Resilience Through Entrepreneurship, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at fostering sustainable growth and resilience across the Caribbean.
Bringing together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, the Cluster seeks to establish itself as the leading authority on entrepreneurship in the region. By focusing on innovative practices and data-driven insights, the initiative will shape policies and practices to address critical knowledge gaps. Additionally, it aims to centralize entrepreneurship data, enhancing resilience on sectoral, national, and regional levels.
At the virtual launch earlier this month, Cluster Chair Dr. Indianna Minto-Coy highlighted the need for collective action in addressing the Caribbean’s challenges. “The challenges facing the Caribbean require collective solutions. Through this Cluster, we aim to connect industry, government, academia, and other civil society organizations to foster innovative approaches to resilience and development,” she said.
Welcoming broader participation, Dr. Minto-Coy added, “Together, we can ensure that entrepreneurship becomes a cornerstone of resilience and sustainable development in the region.”
Co-chairs Dr. Priscilla Bahaw and Dr. Ambica Medine underscored the importance of expanding the understanding of entrepreneurship beyond start-ups to include areas like sustainable, social, corporate, inclusive, and public entrepreneurship. They emphasized the need for a Caribbean-specific perspective to address gaps in literature, practice, and knowledge, reinforcing the necessity of the Cluster’s work.
Pro Vice-Chancellor Graduate Studies and Research, Professor Aldrie Henry-Lee, congratulated the leadership team and expressed enthusiasm for the interdisciplinary collaboration the Cluster will foster among academia, government, and private-sector stakeholders.
The launch, hosted by the School for Graduate Studies and Research, featured a diverse panel of speakers, including regional and international voices. Notable contributors included David Roberts, Acting Permanent Secretary in Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Sport and Community Development, and representatives from The UWI’s campuses across the Caribbean. Insights were also shared by Arif Zaman of the Bloomsbury Institute, London, highlighting connections between global entrepreneurship initiatives and the Caribbean ecosystem.
The Cluster builds on a strong foundation of existing work, including publishing a book on social entrepreneurship, developing tools like the Transformational Theory of Change Model, and establishing a regional data repository for entrepreneurship research. Cross-regional collaborations and future publications are also in progress, aimed at maximizing the impact of shared knowledge and shaping social and business policies across the Caribbean.
With participation from institutions across and beyond the region, the One UWI Research Cluster is poised to drive innovative solutions, ensuring that entrepreneurship becomes a central pillar of sustainable development in the Caribbean.
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