Dear Editor,
This Administration has recently activated the National Commission on Science and Technology. Although such an action sends a positive signal to most Jamaicans, this is not the time for buzzwords and platitudes. In order to be on par with the scientific superpowers of the world, Jamaica will actually need to create science policies and implement them. Policymakers must understand that attending functions and talking about science will not achieve anything of substance.
Therefore, the reorganisation of the Scientific Research Council (SRC) must be one of its chief mandates. It may not be popular knowledge, but the SRC assists entrepreneurs by testing their products before they reach the market. Notwithstanding this fact, the agency is still not exercising its full potential. It is expensive to conduct research and development, but the SRC can find cost-effective ways to promote innovation and improve the supply of talented scientists.
For example, the agency, in partnership with any local university, could create a programme to provide business support to any employee of the SRC who wishes to further exploit his invention. Partnerships with the private sector can also be facilitated if SRC creates an online portal to display research and inventions available for commercialisation or collaboration.
In this age of open innovation, the SRC could become a trailblazer in the Caribbean if it were to adopt an Easy-IP policy, which means that some of its intellectual property will be given to industry for free. Jamaica is playing catch-up, therefore now is not the time for talking. Now is the time for action.
Lipton Matthews
lo_matthews@yahoo.com
Science is more than talk
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This Administration has recently activated the National Commission on Science and Technology. Although such an action sends a positive signal to most Jamaicans, this is not the time for buzzwords and platitudes. In order to be on par with the scientific superpowers of the world, Jamaica will actually need to create science policies and implement them. Policymakers must understand that attending functions and talking about science will not achieve anything of substance.
Therefore, the reorganisation of the Scientific Research Council (SRC) must be one of its chief mandates. It may not be popular knowledge, but the SRC assists entrepreneurs by testing their products before they reach the market. Notwithstanding this fact, the agency is still not exercising its full potential. It is expensive to conduct research and development, but the SRC can find cost-effective ways to promote innovation and improve the supply of talented scientists.
For example, the agency, in partnership with any local university, could create a programme to provide business support to any employee of the SRC who wishes to further exploit his invention. Partnerships with the private sector can also be facilitated if SRC creates an online portal to display research and inventions available for commercialisation or collaboration.
In this age of open innovation, the SRC could become a trailblazer in the Caribbean if it were to adopt an Easy-IP policy, which means that some of its intellectual property will be given to industry for free. Jamaica is playing catch-up, therefore now is not the time for talking. Now is the time for action.
Lipton Matthews
lo_matthews@yahoo.com
Science is more than talk
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