Practice Manager of the World Bank Group’s Entrepreneurship Program for Innovation in the Caribbean (EPIC), Ganesh Rasagam has called on regional partners to take ownership for the next phase of implementing the mobile innovation and clean technology enterprise programs to make for the further promotion and success of digital innovation in the region.

Speaking at the launch of a 2 day Hub and Spoke Workshop for regional entrepreneurs in Kingston recently, Rasagam said the World Bank “truly believes that the Caribbean Climate Innovation Center (CCIC) and the Caribbean Mobile Innovation Program (CMIP) have to be owned and empowered by our regional partners to guarantee long-lasting, sustainable success that will create generations of high-potential entrepreneurs for the region. This is also critical in fulfilling the objectives and targets set for the program,” he noted. EPIC, supported by the Government of Canada, is a 7-year project improves the innovation environment for high-growth startups in CARICOM countries and assists entrepreneurs on their journey from “mind to market”.

The Hub and Spoke model is a series of regional and local ecosystem activities that are managed by a central innovation hub with support from additional hubs in different locations. It seeks to build mobile-innovation communities by bringing together a variety of stakeholder groups, which include entrepreneurs, developers, mobile phone companies and local businesses which are involved in activities that strengthen the mobile innovation ecosystem.

Rasagam says during this phase, “we need to build upon these successes and to strengthen our efforts to support growth entrepreneurs in the Caribbean through a comprehensive set of value-added services, engagement with key stakeholders in the region and building strategic partnerships”.