Centre for Enterprise Development

INNOVATION INCUBATOR
This incubator caters to the needs of any individual with an innovative idea that they believe has the potential to be commercialized. Here, these ideas can be presented in a completely confidential environment, assessed by experts for viability (proof of principle) and further guided through the development process. It also houses project coordinators for the government driven i2i competition and a 3D printing facility which is highly applicable to prototype development. Further, the project offices for the recently acquired 5-year World Bank Project where CARIRI, in conjunction with the Scientific Research Council of Jamaica, will be establishing a Regional Climate Innovation Centre, will also be stationed here.

BUSINESS INCUBATOR
This incubator, which can accommodate 5 in-house and 7 virtual tenants, aims to provide access to the full range of support services that growing small businesses require. The incubator is fully contained, complete with a secretariat, internet access, meeting rooms, a conference room and an informal eating area. Organized in an open floor manner, the small business tenants can interact, share and learn from each other on a daily basis regardless of fields of business whilst also benefiting from economies of scale as it relates to facility, administrative and support services costs.

TECHNOLOGY INCUBATOR

This takes the form of 10 bays which will each initially accommodate projects currently being developed by CARIRI such as garlic, soy, cassava and pepper processing technologies as well as ICT related products. It caters for the incubation and commercialization of technologies sourced both locally and from abroad. CARIRI is not in the business of manufacturing products for sale, rather, the findings from research and development of these technologies will be placed in Technology Packages (collection of info, services and activities related to the manufacture of the products).

ICT CENTRE/ TEKMANIA
This accommodates information and communication technology (ICT) project initiatives being undertaken by CARIRI that are geared towards enhancing the operational efficiencies of SME’s. It houses a developer’s studio, project meeting room, break-out room and a Cisco teleconferencing centre.

Incubators and ICT centres are not new concepts. They have been established regionally and internationally, however, this facility is unique in that it is the first of its kind in the Caribbean where innovation, business and technology incubators and ICT services are located on a single compound and work in synergy to drive enterprise development.