Brussels, January 25 – The drive for Innovation in the European Union’s Overseas Countries and Terrtories (OCTs) has moved up a gear following the finalization of innovation strategies drawn up by Individual OCTs under the OCTA Innovation project.
Individual OCT innovation strategies detail the innovation ion landscape, the scope for innovation ion by sector and action plans to achieve the new goals. The strategies are a key feature of OCTA Innovation, a four – year EU – funded project that is leveraging economic diversification and improved regional and global competitiveness in the EU’s inhabited OCTs*.
Sherma Hodge was appoint ed by Anguilla as Innovation Manager to be in the driving seat of all of the project’s activities on t he island. OCTA Innovation ion Team Leader, Milan Jezic von Gesseneck, says: “All segments of society in the OCTs were involved in drawing up the strategies: government, public bodies, business people, academics, scientists, banks, investors, not – for – profit organisations and individuals from every sector – agriculture, construction, the creative industry, energy, financial services, fisheries, food processing, IT administration, tourism, trade and transport.”
“A great job has been done, but a lot of the work to apply innovation strategies lies ahead. Progress made so far shows that OCT governments understand the crucial importance of innovation for t heir countries, and are ready to make the systemic innovation undertaking required to implement innovation across all segments of the economy and society.”
The letter accompanying the submission of Anguilla’s Innovation Strategy was signed by Chief Minister, Victor F Banks. It read: “We fully recognize t he importance of innovation to bring sustainable economic growth to the Overseas Countries and Territories. We are highly appreciative to the OCT Association for both having initiated and taken t he lead in the Territorial Strategies for Innovation project, and to the EU for providing funding.
In parallel with actions to develop systemic innovation, t he project is direct ty funding innovation initiatives.
It has already secured EUR 1.5 million of EU funding for pilot projects as a first step towards implementing the strategies. “The European Union understands the importance of keeping the momentum of our innovation work and supporting the first steps of the action plans developed on the basis of the innovation strategies,” says Milan Jezic von Gesseneck.
For more information, and interviews: debra.percival@octa·innovation.eu
*Anguilla, Aruba, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Pitcairn, French Polynesia, Saba, St . Barthelemy, Saint Helena, Saint Pierre – et – Miquelon, Sint Eustatius, St . Maarten, Turks and Caicos, Wallis and Futuna.
– Press Release
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
