Business View Caribbean | October 2020

9 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN OCTOBER 2020 A s companies struggle to survive amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, a host of Caribbean technology businesses are poised to benefit from a major boost which will spur their further growth and scaling potential. Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Lab has forged a technical cooperation agreement with TechBeach Retreat to accelerate 250 tech- driven businesses with mentorship, technology services, networks, and connections to enterprise opportunities and investors. To further support the technology ecosystem; TechBeach through its partners will execute a CARIBBEAN TECH BUSINESSES GET NEWACCESS TO GLOBAL GATEWAY workforce development program that sees 3,000 professionals upskilled with digital skills and 200 executive leaders from the corporate sector to undertake a corporate innovation program. Tech businesses participating in the three-year program will be drawn from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and the Bahamas. Therese Turner-Jones, IDB Jamaica Country Representative and General Manager for the Caribbean Country Group noted that the initiative comes at a time when the Caribbean is generally recognized as a challenging place to start and operate a business especially OPENING L INES