Partnerships Key In Driving Research And Innovation – Minister Vaz

Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Hon. Daryl Vaz, has highlighted the importance of partnerships in building a robust research and innovation ecosystem to propel the country into a knowledge-based economy.

He noted that even as the Administration invests in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, scientific research and building a digital infrastructure, focus is also being placed on fostering a collaborative environment where academia, industry and government work together to generate new knowledge and technologies.

“As Minister, I recognise that research and innovation are not just academic exercises; they are the building blocks of national progress, from renewable energy advancements to digital transformation and intelligent transport solutions,” he said.

The Minister was addressing the University of Technology (UTech) Research, Technology and Innovation Day on Thursday (April 10) at the institution’s Old Hope Road location in Kingston.

The event showcased cutting-edge research and innovations from staff and students in STEM and other areas within the University’s eight academic units.

Minister Vaz commended UTech for staging the event, noting that it “provides an incredible platform for us to share knowledge, foster partnerships and ensure that research is not only cutting-edge but is also applicable to real-world challenges”.

He said UTech continues to play a critical role as the Government leverages research and innovation to drive economic growth and development.

UTech Jamaica President, Dr. Kevin Brown, said the University is seeking to build on its traditional STEM-based curriculum through increased research to create solutions for real-world challenges.

“It is a start to our reset. We have to transform the institution and make a really strong pivot from being a teaching-intensive university to being a research-intensive university. UTech is not only here to produce STEM graduates for the workforce. We are here to solve national problems, and we will only achieve this by increasing our research output,’’ Dr. Brown said.

UTech’s Research, Technology and Innovation Day 2025 is the first staging of the University’s flagship event since 2021.

The event served to demonstrate the capabilities and resources for undertaking impactful research and consultancy.

It focused on innovations in food safety and security, artificial intelligence (AI) applications across industries, climate change, disaster risk reduction, health, sustainable energy systems, sports science, tourism, global information system (GIS) applications, urban planning, information and communications technology (ICT), among other things.