Cayenne, French Guiana – 23rd September 2026 – The Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), in collaboration with partners in French Guiana, convened the Digital Futures Forum during ICT Week 2026, exploring French Guiana’s potential role as a strategic digital gateway linking the Caribbean with wider regional and international digital ecosystems.
Held under the theme “Building the Caribbean of Tomorrow,” the Forum brought together representatives from government, regional organisations, technology companies, development institutions and the space sector to examine emerging opportunities for digital integration, innovation and regional development.
Mr. Gary Kalloo, Director, Business Development and Implementation Support, highlighted the importance of strengthening regional cooperation and exploring the opportunities presented by French Guiana’s distinctive position within the Caribbean and wider digital ecosystem.
“The Digital Futures Forum provides an important space to examine how emerging technologies, digital infrastructure, innovation and new forms of regional cooperation can contribute to the Caribbean’s development. French Guiana brings a distinctive set of capabilities and opportunities, including its role in the space sector and its developing digital infrastructure, and the Forum allows us to consider how these can contribute to a more integrated Caribbean digital future,” said Mr. Kalloo.
The Forum opened with a discussion on “Towards an Integrated Caribbean Digital Space: Opportunities, Challenges and Strategic Partnerships,” examining opportunities for deeper digital cooperation between the Caribbean and French Guiana. The session brought together perspectives from the CTU, the European Commission, the French Government and the private sector.
Space technologies formed a key component of the programme. A dedicated panel examined the use of satellites, imaging and geolocation technologies to observe, plan and manage territories remotely and in real time. The discussion highlighted potential applications for environmental monitoring, territorial planning and management, while demonstrating the broader relevance of space technologies to Caribbean development.
The Forum also placed a spotlight on French Guiana as a Strategic Digital Gateway, examining opportunities for Caribbean and regional development through local digital infrastructure, including data storage and processing, satellite infrastructure and fibre infrastructure.
The discussion brought together representatives from telecommunications, data infrastructure, development finance and regional digital organisations to consider how French Guiana’s geographic and technological assets could contribute to a more integrated Caribbean digital space.
The afternoon programme broadened the discussion to digital inclusion and digital hubs, highlighting initiatives supporting digital mediation, access to digital services, equipment refurbishment and the circular economy. Participants also examined the role of community-based digital initiatives in ensuring that digital transformation reaches people and communities on the ground.
Cybersecurity was another key area of discussion, with participants considering practical approaches to everyday digital security, including passwords and authentication, multi-factor authentication, phishing, online scams, privacy and the protection of personal data.
The Forum concluded with a discussion on artificial intelligence, examining its growing impact on healthcare, cybersecurity and economic activity, including its potential to increase productivity and create new markets.
The Digital Futures Forum formed part of CTU ICT Week 2026, which brought together Ministers, senior government officials, regulators, private-sector leaders, academia, civil society, youth and regional and international partners around the theme “Advancing Resilience, Inclusion, Cybersecurity and Innovation in Caribbean Digital Development.”
The Forum further contributed to ICT Week’s broader objective of positioning French Guiana within Caribbean digital development and strengthening engagement between the Caribbean, France and Europe.
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