Entrepreneurs being empowered to develop green tech solutions to address climate change
Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 20, 2019 (SKNIS): The Caribbean Green Tech Start-up Bootcamp, which is currently taking place at the Customs Excise Department from March 19 to 21, is set to build the green ecosystem and empower entrepreneurs to bring innovative green technologies to market and to address climate change, says Project Manager- Caribbean Climate Innovation Centre (CCIC), Carlinton Burrell.
According to Mr. Burrell, the CCIC Bootcamp is “the first regional green technology focus event designed to encourage the generation of clean technology start-up to fight against climate change across the region.”
The CCIC is also the first and only clean tech incubator in the region. It has catered for over 60 entrepreneurs who are currently enrolled in the programme and has served more than 1000 over a four-year period.
“Through these programmes, we have provided access to finance, mentorship, access to market, training and development, scaling and growing these companies that have the desire to find the strength to develop clean tech solutions so that we can have greater economic development,” he said.
This is the CCIC’s 54th event that has brought together engineers, developers, marketers, industry experts and start-up enthusiasts to identify current climate problems to form teams and start-ups.
“We are delighted to be fostering a regional entrepreneurship programme to strengthen our community and to enable start-ups to access global markets,” he said.
During the Bootcamp, the entrepreneurs will be connecting, discovering, learning, and launching their product and services at the end of the day. He added that they will be engaging industry experts and mentors who are passionate about building something new, innovative and diverse.
“You will discover where you are exactly in your start-up journey,” he said. “Learning about what it takes to start a company while looking at some critical enabling tools and techniques. At the end of the day, the goal is to launch your product and services.”
Mr. Burrell noted that as the only clean tech incubator in the Caribbean, CCIC in partnership with the Ministry of International Trade, Industry, Commerce and Consumer Affairs “endeavours to find innovative start-ups that we will personally take into our accelerator and incubator programme who will receive the necessary business education, access to mentorship, access to market right here in the Caribbean and on the global scale.”
“We are here to build sustainable and economic development for the St. Kitts and Nevis’ Constitution,” he said.
So far the CCIC has hosted the Bootcamp in 14 countries.