News Releases

UWI Celebrates Innovators in the Appropriate Technology Competition

For Release Upon Receipt - July 10, 2023

St. Augustine


 undefinedCompetition organisers and trainers from the Trinidad and Tobago Intellectual Property Office, the World Intellectual Property Office, the Korean Intellectual Property Office and The UWI together with the competition finalists gather on The Brix rooftop after the Closing Ceremony.

St. Augustine, July 10th, 2023 - The University of the West Indies (The UWI) St. Augustine Campus is pleased to congratulate the participants of the Appropriate Technology Competition, organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in collaboration with the Trinidad and Tobago Intellectual Property Office, Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs, and the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). From January to March, local innovators and inventors dedicated their efforts to developing innovative solutions that address pressing national issues. The UWI Appropriate Technologies Competition 2023, Closing Ceremony and Awards Presentation was held on Wednesday 29th March 2023 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Brix Hotel – Cascade. 

Ms. Amanda Ramdass emerged the winner of The Appropriate Technology Competition which aims to recognize and reward excellence in creating technology that can be easily and economically utilized by local communities to meet their needs while contributing to sustainable development. In line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, the competition focused on tackling critical issues such as crime, flooding, traffic, energy efficiency, waste management, and food production. 

By encouraging participants to focus on real and tangible problems, the competition aimed to stimulate the development of solutions rooted in the local context of Trinidad and Tobago. Moreover, it sought to enhance the country's innovation capacity by promoting effective access and utilization of patent information, fostering a culture of innovation and problem-solving.

 From left: UNIPET’s Chief Operating Officer Kirt Hills, competition winner Amanda Ramdass, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs Ms Natasha Barrow, and Korean Intellectual Property Office Director Kyosook Choi.

Training played a pivotal role in the competition, with participants benefiting from world-class workshops and guidance in areas such as developing business models, patent searching, patent databases, and prototyping. The University of the West Indies, through its Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (STACIE), has been a key collaborator, providing support in fostering entrepreneurship and commercialization. With a focus on IP protection, licensing, and start-ups, the University has been committed to ensuring the translation of research into tangible products and services. 

“The TTIPO is grateful for all the support which it has received from its partners regarding transformation of the IP ecosystem,” said Ms. Natasha Barrow, Permanent Secretary, Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs at the closing ceremony. “KIPO has identified seven technologies which are related to the fourth Industrial Revolution, which I hope to see implemented in Trinidad and Tobago in the near future. These include artificial intelligence, the internet of things, intelligent robots, three-dimensional printing, autonomous driving, big data, and cloud computing. Such technologies would undoubtedly revolutionise our daily lives, both professionally and personally,” she further explained. 

The evaluation process for the competition entailed a comprehensive assessment of the submissions, including analysis of the problem, degree of innovation, use of patent information, and practical application of the technologies, including the utilization of business canvases. The UWI, with its longstanding association with both TT IPO and WIPO, eagerly participated in the competition, reaffirming its commitment to being a proactive problem-solver. 

The UWI St Augustine Campus acknowledges the efforts of WIPO in emphasizing the importance of intellectual property protection and equipping innovators with the necessary training and tools to bring their inventions from the laboratory to the marketplace and into the community. Dr. Pedro Lopez and Dr. Ruel Ellis, engaged by WIPO, provided valuable insights on the business model canvas, jobs-to-be-done, storytelling, and pitching, benefiting the participants of this competition. 

As the competition draws to a close, The UWI encourages participants to continue collaborating with the TT IPO and to protect and promote their technologies. These solutions address real-life challenges faced by our country, and the training received equips participants to seek industry partners for further development and manufacturing.

END  

About The University of the West Indies 

The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region for the past 75 years. 

From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Open Campus, and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe. 

The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and wider world. 

The UWI has been consistently ranked among the top universities globally by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). The UWI is the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists since its debut in the rankings in 2018. In addition to its leading position in the Caribbean in the World University Rankings, it is also in the top 25 for Latin America and the Caribbean and the top 100 global Golden Age universities (between 50 and 80 years old).  The UWI is also featured among the leading universities on THE’s Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Wellbeing; Gender Equality and Climate Action. 

2023 marks The UWI’s 75th anniversary. The Diamond jubilee milestone themed “UWI at 75. Rooted. Ready. Rising.” features initiatives purposely designed and aligned to reflect on the past, confront the present, and articulate plans for the future of the regional University. 

Learn more at www.uwi.edu  

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