Six companies from the Eastern Caribbean participated in the 4th edition of the TechBeach Retreat which took place in Montego Bay, Jamaica, from December 5-7 2019.

The two-day event brought together hundreds of participants including technology entrepreneurs from the Caribbean and North America, and 52 world class keynote speakers from multiple global companies like The New York Times, Forbes and Inc. Magazine, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, Massy and Airbnb, among others.

The six participating technology companies from the Eastern Caribbean were: IslandTEK, eMagine Solutions Inc, Converge Solutions Inc, and Big Brother Technologies (based in Saint Lucia); and airZoon and Wimediacom (based in Martinique).

The mission was part of the INTERREG Trade Enhancement for the Eastern Caribbean (TEECA) project which is coordinated by the Chamber of Commerce of Martinique (CCI Martinique) along with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique and the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export).

The delegation was led by OECS Competitive Business Technical Specialist, Kwesi Roberts; and Special Advisor for Trade and Legal Affairs at the Caribbean Export Development Agency based in Barbados, Gayle Gollop.

This year, the TechBeach Retreat was sponsored by Google and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Participants had the opportunity to attend key presentations on the current state of innovation, entrepreneurship and disruptive technology in the region. The event also enabled the six entrepreneurs to participate in B2B meetings during which they had the opportunity to network with global players in the area of technology, access new products and services, and showcase innovations made in the Caribbean.

Co-Founder of TechBeach Retreat, Kirk-Anthony Hamilton, highlighted: “The event sought to foster collaboration among like minded individuals in the area of technology and strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean. The nonhierarchical nature of the event allows people to meet tech leaders and exchange ideas in a relaxed environment”. Hamilton said.

Panel discussions, round tables and presentations were delivered on the following matters:

• The Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Fifth Horizon;
• Life with Machines: Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Automation;
• Blockchain Technology and Digital Assets;
• Cashless Societies: Scaling Fin-Tech Solutions to Mainstream Impact;
• Smart Infrastructure and the Future of Cities;
• Google Innovation and Reinvention: The Intelligent Enterprise and the Experience Economy;
• The Future of Work: Exploring the Technological Transformation of Industries;
• Cyber Security and the New Paradigm of Everyday Life;
• The Future of Health and Well-Being; and
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation within the Digital Revolution.

Participants also attended workshops for Start-Ups and Corporates on eGovernance, Scaling and Venture Capital.

This article was originally posted on St. Lucia News Online