A culture of innovation in Trinidad and Tobago

Innovation put simply in my mind is new ways of doing things that adds value. This might be hard for the older generation to embrace but the next generation are ready and willing. Numerous studies have been done by the government on the topic of innovation and how to promote innovation. There is even the 2017 National Innovation Policy. This has led to the Shaping The Future of Innovation programme that was launched to develop the national innovation ecosystem. Some companies have already benefitted from funding.

We want to be globally competitive. We want to recognise and reward innovators. Having innovation hubs, networking events and conferences are some things that could promote innovation. How do we describe a culture of innovation? There is a willingness to experiment, plenty collaboration, openness to failure and sharing of ideas among other things. We are a creative and resilient people and this fits right in with a culture of innovation.

Innovation can help us tackle the growing list of problems we face in Trinidad and Tobago. We can't be doing the same things and expect different results. We have to innovate. Innovation is a continuous process and must be a big part of our culture. Thomas Edison once said, "There is a way to do it better. Find it." We must want to do things better. We must want change. We must understand our roles as agents of change.

Innovation has to be lead by a purpose. At the core we want country development and prosperity. We want to live comfortable and meaningful lives. Innovation requires leaders that inspire us. Leaders that give us hope. Leaders that lead by example. Leaders that are listening to us. For innovation to work we need all hands on deck and inclusion and diversity are important.