The St. Augustine Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (STACIE) organized a stimulating University of the West Indies (UWI) exhibit at the annual TTMA Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) which spanned three days from Thursday 20th July to Saturday 22nd July 2023, at the Centre of Excellence in Macoya. TIC offered an ideal platform to network with local and international industry leaders, explore potential collaborations, and establish new possible partnerships. The UWI booth was sponsored by STACIE and the Engineering Institute with support from the Marketing and Communications Office.
UWI Booth Setup at TIC
The booth showcased a variety of projects from different Faculties, Institutes and Departments. Day 1 featured a display of programmes promoted by the Engineering Institute from The UWI. This was followed by exhibits from the Department of Computing and Information Technology (DCIT) featuring research projects developed by students from the Department that are in use by paying clients. DCIT also promoted its Docker Training which was an industry short course on the Docker technology offered through the Computing Connections Unit. The UWI Bookshop provided giveaways to engage audience members.
Day 1 Exhibitors: Engineering Institute, DCIT, UWI Bookshop
On Day 2, the Cocoa Research Centre (CRC) featured their cocoa at different stages of post-harvest processing and promoted business collaborations and their chocolate making course. The Engineering Institute featured their LegalAI which answers questions based on Trinidad laws. Dr. Graham King, Director of STACIE, was present on Day 2. The STACIE Director has a keen interest in innovation and entrepreneurship and vision for academia and industry collaboration and this convention provided a forum to interact with stakeholders. On Day 3, there was a shift from science and technology to the creative arts with the Faculty of Humanities and Education promoting its film programme, translating and interpreting services and entrepreneurial endeavours.
Day 2 Exhibitors: CRC, Engineering Institute
Day 3 Exhibitors: Humanities and Education, Engineering Institute
On all three days, STACIE and Postgraduate representatives were present to promote The UWI’s leading research and Master’s and PhD programmes. STACIE featured some of the research stemming out of The UWI with commercial value such as biopesticides, asphalt-based industrial sealants and coatings, bioplastics, fingerprint recognition technology, and the Percussive Harmonic Instrument (PHI). Commercialization of research projects is a key activity in the UWI Triple A strategy Phase II known as the Revenue Revolution. Some of these projects were supported by talented PhD candidates and graduates from The UWI, which highlights the need to secure increased Master’s and PhD enrolment coupled with innovation and entrepreneurship in research, to solve real world problems. Bridging the gap from research to industry is often a challenging one, especially when tapping into a market already dominated by traditional products with a competing novel or high-risk venture. Established businesses with a wealth of experience are good candidates for partnerships, co-licensing, and technical expertise.
STACIE and Postgraduate Unit
STACIE is also involved in very meaningful and impactful projects that address problems that directly affect the country such as the COVID-19 major SARS-CoV-2 sequencing project and the Harnessing Innovative Technologies to Support Resilient Settlements on the Coastal Zones of the Caribbean (HIT RESET) Caribbean project. HIT RESET Caribbean is a 4.9 million Euro EU funded project managed by STACIE with The UWI as the executing agency for third party projects to alleviate the effects of climate change to coastal communities done in several Caribbean countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, and Suriname.
The UWI booth attracted a wide cross-section of the general public and generated genuine interest among exhibitors, buyers, consumers.
