School of Digital Transformation and Innovation in the Caribbean
- Overview
- Agenda
- Registration
- Speakers
- Presentations
- Documents
- Media
- Sponsors
- Remote
Participation - Event
Evaluation
Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Concept Note
Theme: Meaningful connectivity for social and productive development
- About the School of Digital Transformation and Innovation
The School of Digital Transformation and Innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean serves as a dynamic capacity-building program for policymakers. Through lectures, panel discussions, case studies, and peer learning, it delivers pertinent, up-to-date content on analytical skills, transformation trends, and best practices.
Formerly known as “The Digital Transformation and Innovation Summer School,” the program has been collaboratively organised by prominent entities, including the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), CAF – The Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, Cetic.br (Regional Center of Studies for the Development of the Information Society – a Department of NIC.br), the Datasphere Initiative Foundation, and the Latin American and Caribbean Technical Internet Community – represented by LACNIC, ICANN, ISOC, LACTLD, LAC-IX, LACNOG, and Red CLARA.
With ten editions executed so far, the School has evolved into a significant cooperation platform. It engages policymakers, international experts, and professionals from diverse sectors in intersectoral dialogue on the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation and innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean. The School is being proposed exclusively to a Caribbean audience for the first time this year.
- Why is a Caribbean version of the School of Digital Transformation and Innovation needed?
In today’s interconnected world, the imperative for socioeconomic development through digital transformation is clear. The School of Digital Transformation and Innovation for the Caribbean recognizes the unique challenges and opportunities faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the region, especially given their convergence of debt, cost-of-living, and climate crises.
The School aims to foster innovation in the Caribbean by addressing issues such as inadequate telecommunications infrastructure, susceptibility to natural disasters, financial constraints, and data-centric models. Bridging these gaps is essential for successful digital transformation, enabling the Caribbean to harness emerging technologies for economic growth. Critical analyses of global digital transformation trends and their implications for sustainable Caribbean development will be a key focus.
Strategic adaptability is crucial for entities within SIDS to promptly adjust strategies in response to external changes. Decision-makers must be agile, making quick decisions and reallocating resources based on continuous monitoring of the global digital ecosystem. This proactive approach ensures that digital transformation strategies remain relevant and aligned with evolving circumstances.
The School will be a four-day event, with three days dedicated to specific strategic themes. Organising partners will be responsible for different segments, culminating in a closing ceremony where participants who complete two thirds of all activities will receive a certificate of participation. A showcase of existing innovative solutions for public policy problems is also contemplated on Day Four.
- Organising Partners
The 2024 edition of the School will be co-organised by the following institutions:
ECLAC: The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
CAF: Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean.
CETIC.BR: Centro Regional de Estudos para o Desenvolvimento da Sociedade da Informação
Internet Technical Community: LACNIC, ICANN, Internet Society, LACTLD, LAC-IX, LACNOG, Red CLARA.
CTU: The Caribbean Telecommunications Union
UWI: The University of the West Indies
- Objectives
The main objectives of the 2024 edition of the School include:
- Knowledge Enhancement: To provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of digital transformation, including its technologies, impact, and potential in the Caribbean context.
- Improved Policy Development: To facilitate discussions on policy frameworks that support digital transformation, ensuring alignment with regional and international strategies.
- Innovative Solutions: To encourage the development of innovative strategies to tackle digital challenges and leverage opportunities within SIDS.
- Collaborative Networking: To facilitate networking and collaboration among policymakers, stakeholders, and technology experts to promote a shared vision and coordinated efforts towards digital advancement.
- Capacity Building: To strengthen the skills and capabilities of participants to effectively engage with emerging technologies and adapt to the dynamic digital landscape.
- Thematic Pillars
This edition of the School of Digital Transformation and Innovation in the Caribbean will bring together leading specialists, people in charge of formulating digital transformation policies and researchers interested in the role of innovation and digitalization for the development of the region, with the objective of providing a space for learning and debate whose common thread is meaningful connectivity.
The School will be organised around the following three (3) thematic pillars, namely:
Internet: operations, actors and current challenges (TECHNICAL COMMUNITY)
- Technical aspects of the operation of the Internet.
- Normative and regulatory aspects of the operation of the Internet.
- Current challenges and debates: Internet fragmentation, ‘fair share’
- Internet governance: Using multistakeholder approaches to find equitable solutions
Transitioning To A Digital Economy For All: Governance And Regulatory Implications (UWI with support from CETIC.BR)
- Driving the Digital Economy: Effective Data Use and Governance
- Unleashing the Power of Data with AI and Other Analytics in the Caribbean
- Data as a Digital Public Good
- Balancing Data Risks and Opportunities
- Understanding and Mitigating Risks in Digital Public Infrastructure
- Unpacking Meaningful Connectivity in the Caribbean Context
Digitalisation of the Economy to Improve Industries’ Productivity and Competitiveness (ECLAC with support from CAF)
- Digitalisation of production processes and green technologies
- Security and Data Governance
- Examining the Global Digital Economy and Financial Inclusion
- Sustainably Financing Digital Transformation
- Methodology
The School will adopt a multifaceted approach to achieve its objectives:
- Lectures and Workshops: Participants will be engaged through interactive lectures, case studies, and workshops led by experts in the field.
- Panel Discussions and Debates: Through panel discussions and structured debates involving industry experts, policymakers and academia, dialogues will be leveraged to share diverse perspectives on digital transformation in the Caribbean.
- Tech Demos/Site visits: Insofar that existing technology solutions are being applied outside of the Caribbean and at a small scale within the Caribbean, demonstrations of a select number of solutions will be encouraged to provide participants with real-world insights into successful digital initiatives.
- Target Audience
The School targets mid-to-senior level policymakers (at least seven years of experience) from Digital/ICT, Finance, Trade, Planning & Economy, and Legal Affairs ministries; regulators; chambers of commerce; industry stakeholders; academics; and representatives from international organisations involved in formulating or shaping public policy and strategies related to digital transformation and innovation within the Caribbean region. Maximum seating capacity is forty (40). A select number of participants will be granted a fellowship to attend.
- Date and Duration
Date: 12 to 15 August 2024
Time: 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM (UTC -4)
Location: CTU Headquarters, Mary St, St Clair, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Mode: In-person participation
Language: English [no interpretation service will be available]
Certificates: Certificates will be awarded to those who participate in at least two-thirds of the activities.
Registration: Expressions of Interest are being sought, by Invitation, to attend the School
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD PROVISIONAL AGENDA
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 |
|
TIME |
ACTIVITY | SPEAKER | SPEAKERS |
|
DAY ONE – TECHNICAL COMMUNITY |
|||
|
OPENING CEREMONY |
|||
| 9:00 | Introduction and Housekeeping Announcements | Ms. Michelle Garcia, CTU | |
| 9:05 | Opening Remarks | Mr. Rodney Taylor Secretary-General, CTU |
|
| 9:10 | Welcome Remarks | Representatives,
|
|
| 9:25 | Workshop Group Photo | ||
| 9:30 | Introduction to the Internet Ecosystem and How the Internet works: Actors and Processes Involved in Everyday Internet Access | ||
| This pillar will spotlight different facets of the Internet ecosystem and its actors, presenting a tiered view encompassing infrastructure providers, the standards and protocols facilitating Internet access, and content and applications. It will explore the intricate interplay between technical and policy considerations, delving into the responsibilities of various actors to guarantee meaningful connectivity for end-users. | Moderator – Mr. Kevon Swift, LACNIC
Facilitators
|
||
| 10:30 | WORKING COFFEE BREAK | ||
| 11:00 | Introduction to the Internet Ecosystem and How the Internet works: Actors, Processes and Emerging Trends. (cont’d.) | ||
| As this session continues, it will address emerging issues related to technical Internet coordination. | Moderator – Mr. Kevon Swift, LACNIC
Facilitators:
|
||
| 12:30 | LUNCH BREAK | ||
| 13:30 | How do we connect the unconnected and create a resilient Internet? Policy and regulatory perspectives | ||
| Furthering Internet penetration in the Caribbean and ensuring that the Internet remains resilient are some of the main challenges we must overcome. The objective of this session is to address the current challenges to connect the unconnected in the Caribbean, and to transcend the traditional focus on Internet infrastructure and resources by examining innovative models for closing the gap such as community networks. The session will also explore practical considerations to make the Internet resilient, which is particularly critical in times of disasters. During the session, the concept of universal connectivity and Internet resilience will be analysed, and the role of Internet resilience in disaster recovery will be examined through real-life cases. | Moderator/Facilitator – Mr. Christian O’Flaherty, ISOCFacilitators:
|
||
| 15:30 | COFFEE BREAK | ||
| 15:45 | Multistakeholder Negotiation in Practice – Unpacking The ‘Fairshare’ Debate | ||
| What is the multistakeholder model? How can we apply it in our countries? Unlike traditional forms of centralised and exclusively governmental governance, the multistakeholder approach is presented as the most viable option to address the current challenges of the Internet. This approach promotes the concept of “rough consensus”, which has been shown to offer better results in solving such problems than any other alternative. For this session, there will be a simulation of a multistakeholder negotiation on the topic of “fairshare” in the Caribbean. A chronological review of fairshare debates around the world will be done, and then a multistakeholder role-playing exercise will ensue with the goal of defining a workable solution for equitable and sustainable Internet development that considers all interests. | Moderators –
|
||
| 17:00 | END | ||
|
TIME |
ACTIVITY | SPEAKERS |
|
DAY 2 – The University of the West Indies with support from CETIC.BR |
||
|
Transitioning to a Data-driven Economy: Governance and Regulatory Implications |
||
| 9:00 | Driving the Digital Economy: Effective Data Use and Governance | |
| In an era where data holds unprecedented value, this session responds to the need for deep understanding of the purpose, function and power of data, and the challenges of regulating data flows, to empower the digital economy.
The session shows how exploiting data not only shapes novel industrial and business models but also ushers in a new economic paradigm where emerging markets and intermediaries harness and learn from data itself. It recognises that effective data governance is pivotal, steering investments in digital infrastructure and technologies, while also furnishing precise insights into the efficiency of both business and government services. The session discusses the role of regulation in striking a fair balance between innovative service delivery and safeguarding the rights of end-users, who are the primary generators of data. |
Moderator: Dr. Kim Mallalieu
Facilitators:
|
|
| 9:30 | Practical and Potent: Unleashing the Power of Data with AI and Other Analytics in the Caribbean | |
| This session demonstrates the transformative power of data with AI and other analytics to drive innovation and address pressing challenges in the Caribbean. It underscores the need to develop Caribbean talent to apply data science to solve local and regional problems; provides several examples of how such talent has already developed potent data science solutions across multiple sectors in the region to optimise processes, improve decision-making, unlock new opportunities, and more. These examples illustrate not only the potential of indigenous talent but also the tangible benefits of leveraging homegrown innovation to drive growth and competitiveness in local industries. Existing and potential opportunities for data science capacity building are identified.
The session will close with a discussion on the risks associated with AI; a review of global developments on the governing of AI for humanity; and the impact of AI on the Latin American and Caribbean region, with recommendations emerging from broad stakeholder consultations. |
Moderator: Dr. Kim Mallalieu
Facilitators:
|
|
| 10:30 | COFFEE BREAK | |
| Data as a Digital Public Good | ||
| 11:00 | This session demonstrates the critical role of data in empowering emerging Digital Public Infrastructures (DPIs): identity, payments and data eXchange. It considers the benchmarking of the Caribbean’s data ecosystems through the lens of governance, capacity and open data availability and use. It reflects on the Caribbean findings in the 2022 Edition of The Global Data Barometer (GDB). | Moderator: Dr. Kim Mallalieu
Facilitators:
|
| 11:45 | Balancing Data Risks and Opportunities | |
| This session describes how to navigate the data value chain through purposeful data governance and regulatory mechanisms including those that treat with access to information, open data, data protection and privacy. | Moderator: Dr. Kim Mallalieu
Facilitators:
|
|
| 12:30 | LUNCH BREAK | |
| Safe, inclusive and meaningful digital transformation for all: governance and regulatory Implications | ||
| 13:30 | Understanding and Mitigating Risks in Digital Public Infrastructure | |
| This session demonstrates that Digital public infrastructure (DPI) is increasingly important to the transformation of public services, their delivery and reach. It cautions that, like traditional public infrastructure, its design and implementation call for standards, guidelines and safeguards to ensure safety and inclusivity.
The session presents the DPI lifecycle and classifies risks to safety and inclusion associated with each of its stages. It identifies key mitigation strategies that fall to various DPI actors; and outlines the current global initiative to develop Universal Safeguards for DPI. In a case study activity, DPI actor teams explore their respective roles in different lifecycle stages. Group lightning presentations reveal perspectives on critical dimensions of safeguards and actor interdependencies, as well as design and implementation challenges and opportunities in the Caribbean context. Key takeaways are shared. |
Moderator:
Dr. Maurice Mc Naughton Facilitators:
|
|
| 15:15 | COFFEE BREAK | |
| 15:45 | Unpacking Meaningful Connectivity in the Caribbean Context | |
| This session issues a reminder that an inclusive digital society, where everyone, everywhere can harness the power of digital technology and services for social advancement and economic growth, remains an overarching goal of digital transformation.
The session recognises that meaningful connectivity is a necessary though not sufficient requirement for digital transformation to deliver on its promise. It defines meaningful connectivity, considers existing methodologies to measure it; and promotes its general methodological harmonisation, utilising a mix of standardised and context-appropriate measures. It analyses example use cases of Caribbean digital gaps and recommends mitigation and response strategies to achieve meaningful connectivity to enable all to benefit from the promise of safe and inclusive digital transformation. |
Moderator:
Dr. Maurice Mc Naughton Facilitators: Dr. Kim Mallalieu
|
|
| 17:00 | END | |
| TIME | ACTIVITY | SPEAKERS |
|
DAY 3 – UN ECLAC with support from CAF |
||
| Aligning Digitalisation and Productivity Goals: Review of Practical ICT Applications. | ||
| 9:00-10:45 | A paradox emerges as digital technologies promise substantial economic enhancement but fall short in translating digitalisation gains into significant productivity growth in specific regions. The aftermath of the global financial crisis, reduced business dynamism, and underperformance of low-productivity firms contribute to this decline. Different research underscores shortcomings in crucial complementary factors and policies, highlighting the intricate interplay between different technologies, firms’ capabilities, and supportive policies. Shortfalls in these factors impede widespread digital technology adoption, disproportionately favouring firms with advanced technical, managerial, and organisational skills, thus exacerbating existing productivity disparities. This session will analyse the relevance and complementarity between Productive Development and Digital Transformation policies, focus on innovation systems and supporting MSMEs, as well as delve into practical examples of digitisation initiatives that have successfully driven productivity growth. | Moderator: Mr. Demetris Herakleous, ECLAC
Facilitators:
|
| 10:45-11:00 | COFFEE BREAK | |
| 11:00-12:30 | Security and data governance | |
| Escalating cyber threats pose a growing challenge to the digital transformation and sustainable economic development of nations, particularly impacting safety, prosperity, and resilience in developing regions like the Caribbean. Many Caribbean SIDS lack the essential capabilities, resources, skills, and institutional frameworks to manage cyber threats effectively. The current financing model for cybersecurity activities is problematic, as some countries rely on a ‘residual model’ from IT budgets instead of a continuous and seamlessly integrated investment within national budgets. Additionally, the global shortage of cybersecurity professionals, projected to reach over 3.5 million unfilled jobs by 2025, hinders the attraction and retention of skilled personnel in the public sector. To address these challenges, integrating cyber resilience into the development agenda is essential, emphasising the need for enhanced collaboration between the cybersecurity and development sectors to achieve more effective, sustainable, and resilient outcomes against evolving cyber threats. | Moderator: Mr. Mauricio Agudelo, CAF
Facilitators:
|
|
| 12:30 | LUNCH | |
| 13:30- 14:30 | Measuring Digital Transformation and Summary of Topic | |
| This session underscores the critical need for improved data collection in the Caribbean to ensure indicators are numerous and actionable. The current lack of indicators, particularly in areas related to digital transformation, highlights a broader issue of data scarcity that hampers informed decision-making and policy adjustments. Emphasizing a holistic approach, this session will address integrating gender, environmental, and social impacts into measurement frameworks to understand digital transformation’s effects. Participants will explore initiatives like the ECLAC’s Digital Development Observatory, which generates evidence through research and analysis. Furthermore, the importance of indicators on financing digital development will be presented. The session will also discuss steps to enhance data collection, such as improving coverage, developing new methodologies, and fostering collaborations. Supporting the regional digital transition involves collecting and effectively using data to drive policy and decision-making. | Moderator: Mr. Demetris Herakleous, ECLAC
Facilitators:
|
|
| 14:30-14:45 | COFFEE BREAK | |
| 14:45 – 16:00 | Examining the Global Digital Economy and Sustainable Digital Finance | |
| The profound impact of digital technologies on global economies opens new avenues for small island developing states in the Caribbean to avoid obsolete infrastructures, take advantage of the experiences of others and take advantage of emerging markets. Digital advances break down traditional barriers for entrepreneurs and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), allowing them to establish a multinational or internationally competitive presence from the start. In this context, innovative financial products and services are indispensable in an increasingly digital environment. This space seeks to present different visions on the new opportunities that digital finance brings, allowing not only greater access but also greater financial health for the population where digital finance emerges as a key catalyst for positive growth, development and financial inclusion, especially in underserved and unbanked communities in developing nations. Ensuring the sustainability of the financial sector amid its digital evolution is critical to addressing the financial needs of diverse populations. | Moderator: Mr. Oscar Vargas, CAF
Facilitators:
|
|
| 16:00 – 17:00 | Round Table: Fostering cooperation to promote digital transformation in the Caribbean | |
| The panel will look at various policy dialogue processes taking place globally, highlighting the importance of collaboration in the digital age. | Moderators:
|
|
| TIME | ACTIVITY | SPEAKERS |
| DAY 4 | ||
| 09:00-10:15 | General Evaluation and Closing Remarks | Representatives:
ECLAC, CAF, UWI, Cetic.br | NIC.br and Technical Community Mr. Nigel Cassimire |
| 10:15-11:00 | BRUNCH | |
| On-site Visit – Minisry of Digital Transformation, Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GoRTT): Developers’ Hub (D’Hub) and Tier-IV Modula Data Centre | ||
| 11:00-14:30 | Sharing MDT’s experience in developing two key initiatives (the Developers Hub and Tier-IV Modular Data Centre) under the digital economy and digital government pillars with the support of the private sector and development partners such as CAF, the European Union and Deloitte. An interactive session that will allow for the exchange of ideas on strengthening the initiative identify avenues for collaboration and replication in keeping with the local context of individual countries.
Space aimed at presenting the kick-off of the route (schedule) of the studies developed with the support of CAF, highlighting the relevance that the representation of different actors in the country has for the Caribbean region, among which stand out, governments and their institutions, content or software developers, among others. It is expected to have the exchange of ideas or suggestions that contribute to strengthening the project. |
Facilitators:
|
| END OF SCHOOL | ||
Day 1 | |
|---|---|
| LACNIC | How does the internet work? |
| Mr. Sidney De Weever, BTP, Sint Maarten | Ensuring Internet Resilience and Enhanced Connectivity During Disasters |
Day 2 | |
| Prof. Gunjan Mansingh, Department of Computing, The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica | Creative Industry and AI |
| Dr. Maurice Mc Naughton, Mona School of Business & Management, UWI | Caribbean Open Institute | Driving the Digital Economy: Effective Data Use and Governance |
| Dr Craig J Ramlal | Avancing Caribbean Innovation with AI |
| Prof. Gunjan Mansingh Department of Computing The University of the West Indies Mona Campus, Jamaica | Digital Public Infrastructure: Exemplars from India |
Day 4 | |
| Ministry of Digital Transformation, Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GoRTT) | Adoption of T4 Modular Data Center as Regional Data Embassy |
| Ministry of Digital Transformation, Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GoRTT) | D'Hub Playbook |
