Low Carbon Innovation

Support System Comparison:

Jamaica and Scotland

Presented by: Sameer Simms

Date: September 04, 2015

Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation

High School Yards, Edinburgh, EH1 1LZ, Scotland

Executive Summary

The innovation support systems in Jamaica and Scotland are assessed to determine areas where

strengths of the Scottish system can help weak areas in the Jamaican system. The approach taken is

to determine the fundamental stages of, factors supporting an enabling environment for, and the

barriers to low carbon innovation in general then identify how each area is addressed by each

government. The fundamental stages determined are conceptualisation, feasibility assessments,

developing and testing, and commercialisation and implementation. The factors supporting an

enabling environment are problems and challenges requiring new solutions and support for

fundamental stages identified above. The fundamental barriers identified are the often need for

behavioural change, access to funding, government policies, and technical barriers. Based on the

information presented, recommendations are made for areas of improvement to the Jamaican

system.

The factors creating the need for conceptualisation identified are the high GHG emissions associated

with heavy use of fossil fuels and the negative impacts on trade balance, currency, energy security,

and competitiveness associated with heavy importation of fossil fuels. Based on the assessment of

support provided for each stage of the innovation process, recommendations are made to strengthen

weak areas in the Jamaican innovation system. In the area of supporting and promoting

conceptualisation, it is recommended to put more pressure on academic institutions to supply

knowledge based on the problems in the country, publicise the importance of and current innovation

in Jamaica, encouraging business to develop an innovative culture, and setting more specific energy

related goals covering transport fuels, emissions, electricity generation, and energy use per capita.

Improving support can be achieved through increasing access to technologies and the internet,

working with international partners to increase access to expertise and equipment, encouraging more

internship placements, and increasing access to business support and advice. To improve the support

for commercialisation and implementation, establishing a start-up accelerator, increasing accessibility

to marketing, financial, and business support and advice through a one-stop website, and incentivising

the increase of quality and quantity of export goods and services are steps that can be taken.

At the core of any strong innovation system is a strategic and specific policy outlining thorough action

plans. This is lacking in Jamaica and therefore it is recommended that one be developed using existing

ones in other countries pioneering innovation for a low carbon future. Recommendations to address

the barrier of funding are lowering interest rates on low carbon loans and providing incentives for

businesses that fun R&D. To address technical barriers, it is recommended to increase partnerships

with research centres and universities locally and abroad to encourage research pooling and

knowledge exchange. Also, focus should be placed on building capacity for developing low carbon

products, tapping into the expertise present in multinational companies operating in the island, and

encouraging these companies to provide internships for locals.

It is highly recommended that a one-stop entity be established which works to address the barriers to

low carbon innovation and provides support at all stages. Such an entity would develop strong ties

with relevant players in, among others, the finance, research, technical, and consulting industries.

Contents

Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................. 2

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 5

Stages in Low Carbon Innovation............................................................................................................ 7

Enabling Environment ............................................................................................................................. 9

Barriers .................................................................................................................................................. 12

Government Efforts .............................................................................................................................. 14

Support at Each Stage ........................................................................................................................... 18

Addressing Barriers ............................................................................................................................... 20

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 23

Recommendations ................................................................................................................................ 24

Introduction

What is Low Carbon Innovation?

Innovation is the process of conceptualising, developing, and implementing novel or improved

products, services, and processes which create new value for businesses, organisations, people, and

societies. Innovation is the driver of technological advancements, improved ways of life, and a more

sophisticated human society. Innovation effectively provides better solutions for present and future

problems. Innovation is facilitated by inventors, entrepreneurs, mentors, and individual achievers who

might be under pressure to compete, are challenged, or are visionaries wanting to define a new

paradigm. Innovators require an enabling environment which provides the drive to innovate, freedom

to explore, and support at all stages. Low carbon innovation describes innovation that solves the

fundamental problems of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing dependence on fossil

fuels. The products, methods, and services developed tackles the challenge of satisfying current

demand while reducing the use of fossil fuels. Innovation typically includes four fundamental stages,

namely conceptualisation, feasibility assessments, development and testing, and

commercialisation/implementation.

Role of Innovation in Economic Growth

Innovation can be seen as the primary source and a driver of economic growth and productivity. It is

a driver that solves our problems and makes possibilities realities. Advances in technology have shown

an impeccable record of improving the efficiency of operations in the primary and manufacturing

sector which has led to cheaper production prices, increased production, and lower prices for

consumers. Lower production prices gives producers and manufacturers a competitive advantage and

bigger profits. The competitive advantage allows them to compete successfully on the global market

and the bigger profits increase tax revenues and allow them to expand and create more jobs.

Innovations in the health care industry have led to better treatment of and resilience to illnesses which

corresponds to less sick days and therefore higher productivity. It is a similar story for innovation in

all industries, better products and services, which ultimately leads to residents being more able to

afford desired goods and services. In terms of low carbon, innovation serves to reduce dependence

on fossil fuels. For countries like Jamaica that have a high dependence on fossil fuels originating from

other countries, reducing expensive fossil fuel consumption serves to reduce costs of locally produced

goods and thus increase competitiveness, increase insulation to global fossil fuel price shocks, reduce

demand for foreign currency (to pay for fuel imports) and thus increase the value of the local currency,

and reduce damage to the environment caused by oil spills, GHG emissions, etc.

Innovation in Jamaica and Scotland at a Glance

The two nations, based on the indicators used, are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of

innovation in general. The indicators chosen are those available for the two countries.

Indicator Jamaica Scotland

Gross expenditure on R&D as a % of GDP (2005)

0.3 1.61

Patent filings per million people

23 (2000-2005) >230 (2002)

Stages in Low Carbon Innovation

Conceptualisation

The problems in a society provide the primary incentive to conceptualisation. This is the very first step

of the innovation process without which, innovation will not happen. Simply put, if the society is

perfect there is no need and possibility for improvements. Experiencing or recognising a problem is

what gets our brains thinking of finding a solution whether it be novel or improvement of a current

solution. In some cases, relatively few, innovations are the result of accidental discoveries. Some of

the best known accidental inventions are artificial sweeteners, the microwave, Teflon used in non-

stick cookware, the pacemaker, corn flakes, and the X-ray machine. Innovators conceptualise solutions

for different reason including a desire to excel in a particular field, make money, and for the public

good. Whatever, the reason, the other stages are important for successful innovations.

Feasibility Assessments

Arguably, it is logical to conclude that billions of ideas are created every day from the minds of over 7

billion people on our planet. However, it is reasonable to say that it has never been the case where

billions of innovations are implemented in society on a daily or annual basis. Some ideas are good

while some are not. After the conceptualisation process, it is necessary to determine the potential of

an idea to be successfully implemented. To do this, one must assess the need for and barriers to the

implementation of an idea. The need for ideas with high potential must be strong an urgent which

implies that current solutions have lived past glory days. Whether it be due to inherent weaknesses

or new standards or requirements, over time, solutions become less effective and thus creates new

problems to be solved. If the need is not sufficient, the likelihood for successful implementation will

not be strong. One must also consider the barriers that an idea faces whether they are technical,

financial, or socio-cultural. The rank of barriers in terms of size is specific to a particular innovation. As

an example, while it was technically and financially feasible to create devices to capture methane from

human and animal faeces for use in cooking, social acceptance proved to be, and is still, an issue in

many parts of the world. Another example, while many persons have gotten over the fear of hydrogen

hazards and it is technically feasible to power vehicles only with hydrogen, the high initial and

operating costs is the biggest barrier to wide-scale implementation. The final example, imagine a taxi

operator desiring to power an electric vehicle using only photovoltaic panels on the roof. While he/she

might not mind and can afford to install the panels, the equipment is not technically feasible (with

current technology) to fit all the panels required (to satisfy the power demand) on the roof of the car.

Development and Testing

In this stage, an idea is refined to make it more investment friendly and/or implementation-ready. An

idea must be tested to determine its effectiveness and discover problems that were previously

unknown. This is the stage where some ideas becomes a tangible product or a tested intangible service

or process. At this stage sizeable technical and financial support might be needed as was the case for

the creation of smaller and more economical fuel cells. Heavy investment from the National

Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the past and automakers in more recent years have

led to innovative fuel cells. This is the earliest stage at which investors are likely to be sought.

Commercialisation/Implementation

This is the last fundamental stage where full-scale operations, marketing, and selling begin. The stage

where a product or method is introduced into commerce, making it available on the market. For

commercial products, large investment and support (for skills, management, legal, etc.) might be

needed. Stakeholders determine when, where, and how to launch a product and who to target.

Enabling Environment

An enabling environment for low carbon innovation presents problems and challenges warranting the

need for improved solutions, freedom to explore opportunities, and support in other phases of the

innovation process.

Need for Conceptualisation

A. Unsustainable GHG Emissions

The primary concern of GHG emissions is its contribution to excessive global warming which brings

the risk of detrimental sea level rise, more frequent, and/or intense droughts and other

meteorological phenomena such as cyclones. The melting of the ice caps caused by global warming

severely affects ecosystems due to habitat destruction, increased water temperatures, and other

effects.

B. Energy Security and Competitiveness

Another major driver of low carbon innovation is the need to increase resilience and insulation from

oil price spikes. The oil crisis in the 1970s was the first major driver of renewable fuel sources. Fossil

fuels, hands down, is the primary energy source of the world. Almost all countries demand this fuel

however, not all countries have fossil fuel resources. This creates a situation where countries are

vulnerable to the effects of varying fossil fuel supply and prices, factors manipulated by other

countries. Shortage in the supply of fossil fuels can have long term devastating economic and social

impacts on a country. Also, a countrys productivity and competitiveness is directly related to the price

of energy (fuel for transportation and electricity generation). The higher the price, the lower the

competitiveness due to resulting higher prices for goods. High energy prices can therefore stifle the

growth of an economy in an increasingly globalised world.

C. Economic Impacts

Many fossil fuel-lacking countries pay for the resource using foreign currency (typically the USD). This

situation creates a high demand for foreign currency which is earned by exporting products and

services. The supply and demand for foreign currency directly affects the strength of that currency to

the locals. In the scenario of weakening national currencies due to trade imbalances, governments

typically move to reduce spending on imports which serve to curb the demand for foreign currency.

To reduce spending on imported fossil fuels, the demand for energy must be supplemented or

reduced. Simply putting quotas on importation (as the only measure) will only increase the prices

residents pay. Arguably, this can create a ripe environment for innovation due to the numerous

resulting adversities but the effects are likely to be too devastating. Supplementing the energy

demand requires the use of alternative fuel sources under diversification schemes. Reduction in

energy demand can be achieved through increased energy efficiency and conservation, improved

water and waste management (which requires energy), and other means.

Support at each Stage

Support is required in the stages of feasibility assessment, development and testing, and

commercialisation/implementation. After conceptualising an idea, it is necessary to test the quality

and potential of an idea. An idea might be good but not suitable now or doesnt improve previous

solutions. Support is needed in the form of easy access to information, expertise, facilities, and

sometimes funding. This is a crucial step which acts as a filter for ideas. Innovators might test the

feasibility of an idea technically, financially, and socially (normally in that order). This variety of support

is typically, on a larger scale, needed at the development and testing stage as well. Information can

be made more accessible by creating a central point from which sources of specific knowledge are

listed, creating and publicizing reports, and through knowledge broker services. Access to expertise

can be improved though similar means as well as by, among others, forming more partnerships

between the private sector and universities, research pooling, forming associations of professionals,

conducting more events that facilitate networking, and publicising work done by experts. The

commercialisation/implementation of an idea should be thoroughly planned. While innovators are

adept at conceptualising and developing an idea, it is often the case that they lack the sufficient

business and finance proficiency to successfully commercialise a product. Support then is needed to

fill this gap. This support is often in the form of improving access to angel investors, attractive loans,

grants, manufacturers and suppliers, software and web designers, market analysis experts, marketing

strategy experts, and general business advice and support services.

Barriers

Behavioural Change Requirement

The use of fossil fuels have shaped the way humans think about energy and how they go about

conducting activities. The current energy infrastructure has been developed for fossil fuels. Modern

fossil fuel power plants can produce reliable power at any time to meet demand. The high energy

density of gasoline and diesel as well as historic cheapness have led to the norm of increasing usage

to meet increasing demand. In the past, there was never a significant need to conserve energy and

this has made humans high energy users (wasteful). Alternative sources such as solar and wind have

a much lower energy density and cannot satisfy the current norms for electricity usage or transport.

Also, they are intermittent and so not reliable to supply all the power to meet demands at all times.

Their use requires a smart grid and expensive storage systems. Modern electric vehicles are known to

offer very limited range when compared to typical petrol and diesel vehicles. Humans have gotten use

to travelling over 500km on one tank and refuelling in less than 5 minutes. Electric vehicles typically

offer less than 200km on a full charge and takes hours to fully recharge. The current status quo is to

have energy when and where it is needed and to do so without depleting life savings. The need for

behavioural change and attitude towards energy usage is then a barrier to low carbon innovation.

Without behavioural change, ideas must not only reduce fossil fuel use but also maintain the status

quo otherwise successful implementation will be hard to achieve.

Availability and Access to Funding

Low carbon innovation has had a reputation of requiring special government effort to promote

investment. Funding is a requirement for all innovations. Many low carbon ideas require heavy

funding from the public and private sectors. Most investors are profit-driven and so are looking to

make money quickly which means the idea must have the potential to make large profits in short

order. If the product is costly or will require significant behavioural change of consumers, it is unlikely

to attract sufficient investment. This situation has resulted in governments, aware of the non-financial

benefits, providing incentives to investors and consumers. The level of funding and provision of

incentives varies by country but is often times inadequate.

Government Policies

Government policies play a key role in the innovation process. The process is likely to be more

successful in a country that has created policies supporting reduction in GHG emissions, reduction in

energy use, use of alternative fuel sources, use of energy efficient products, etc. These policies have

strategies that provide incentives, incentives necessary for some products to be profitable. These

policies are also key to catalysing behavioural changes.

Technical

As with many innovations, low carbon products face technical problems. These problems might exist

in creating the product or in implementing a product in current infrastructure. Some technical

problems lead to others such as high prices and requiring significant behavioural change. These

problems, over time, might be solved by advances made through continued research and increased

funding.

Government Efforts

The Jamaican and the Scottish governments have set low carbon goals. The Jamaican government

have set a goal of 30% (revised from 20%) and 12.5% renewable energy contribution to the energy

mix by 2030 and 2015 respectively. The exact contribution currently is roughly 7%. The commissioning

of a new solar farm and two wind farms should increase this number to around 11%. The Scottish

government set more ambitious low carbon goals of 80% of electricity and 11% of heat generated

from renewables, 12% reduction in total energy consumption, and 42% reduction in emissions

(interim to 80% by 2050) all by 2020. Net Scottish emissions were 26.4% lower than 1990 levels

representing an average annual reduction of 1.2% compared to 3% the current requirement.

The Jamaican government has produced several policy documents which describe its action plan for a

low carbon and more energy efficient future. In terms of innovation support, there is one document

that speaks to the use of science and technology to tackle problems. The Science and Technology for

Socio-Economic Development policy speaks to the country realising it must use existing technology

and knowledge to start tackling chronic production problems while building a stronger research and

development base to seek answers and anticipate problems. The policy also mentions that the island

possesses all fundamental infrastructural Science and Technology (S&T) components except for risk

and venture funds for technology-led projects and pilot plant facilities. The document highlights the

need for a closer working relationship between the public and private sectors and between academia

and production. Other points highlighted by the document are:

The need to strengthen the role of innovation and the proper funding of S&T activities

The need for greater private sector participation in S&T development and application

Increasing allocation to R&D and S&T through direct and indirect taxation, use of funds from

the National Lottery, and contributions from education tax collected.

The need to ensure that a sizeable portion of allocations to R&D actually goes towards R&D

as opposed to salaries and administrative activities (the current scenario).

The Scottish government released a similar policy document titled Scotland Can Do: Becoming a

World-Leading Entrepreneurial and Innovative Nation. The document is a framework setting the

vision for Scotland to become a world-leading entrepreneurial and innovative nation and outlines

several ambitious goals including having an education system with entrepreneurship and innovation

at its core and of course, to achieve an increase in innovation and entrepreneurship activity from

Scottish individuals and businesses. Indicators to be used for measuring its progress are increases in

number of businesses, research and development spending, and knowledge exchange from university

research. Both documents primarily describe the current situation and where each country wants to

be in the future but neither outlines exactly how they will achieve goals, at least in a thorough manner.

The Scottish government released two documents which provides more specific action plans, namely

The Government Economic Strategy and A Low Carbon Economic Strategy. The general economic

strategy document identified the role of the government in creating a supportive business

environment (with a focus on growth companies, growth sectors, and growth markets) which will

accelerate the growth of the economy. To provide this supportive business environment, measures

are to be taken in the areas on international trade and investment, supporting business growth,

helping small businesses create jobs, growth sectors, innovation and commercialisation, and taxation.

In the area of international trade and investment, some of the commitments by the government are:

Prioritising lending, from the Scottish Investment Bank, to support SMEs with international

ambitions and the Export Support Initiative will continue to deliver advice and support to

SMEs with export potential.

Supporting, through the Scottish development International, 8000-10000 more businesses in

developing skills necessary to facilitate exploitation of international markets by 2015.

In the area of supporting business growth, the government has, among others, committed to:

Offering support, through Skills Development Scotland, to make it easier for SMEs to hire staff

and take on apprentices

Continuing the advice and support services to potential start-up and early stage businesses

through Business Gateway

Extend the success of Public Contracts Scotland a free-to-access portal which has improved

access to public contract opportunities

In the area of growth sectors, some commitments by the government are:

Through Creative Scotland, support investment opportunities in the creative industries

Investing in universities to secure more economic and social benefits and also to develop

partnerships with businesses to exploit their research.

In the area of innovation and commercialisation, some commitments by the government are:

Launching a centralised point of access interface for businesses to knowledge and expertise

within universities and research institutes in Scotland.

Streamlining the support delivered by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands

Enterprise for commercialisation and innovation.

In the area of taxation, the government has, among others, committed to:

Continuing the Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) which provides a discount (25% to 100%)

on business rates bills for eligible business properties

Continue freezing council tax bills at a time of rising prices and increasing UK Government

taxation in the hopes of boosting consumer spending.

While the low carbon strategy document does not outline a wide variety of relevant steps for

supporting innovation, the goals or targets set by the government (basically reducing GHG emissions,

improving energy efficiency and conservation, and increasing the use of renewables) creates an

environment supportive of low carbon innovation. Three relevant specific steps outlined are:

Promoting low carbon lifestyles to inspire local action in communities through the Climate

Challenge Fund.

Promoting, through the Vision in Business for the Environment in Scotland Awards, excellence

in business innovation in tackling emissions and improving environmental performance.

Working with various bodies to establish new technology hubs/alliances to act as focal points

for low carbon innovation.

In general, it is clear that the government policy in place to support innovation in Jamaica is in its

infancy and is neither specific nor thorough. On the other hand, the Scottish government has

addressed support for innovation in all stages from conceptualisation to commercialisation.

Support at Each Stage

The tables below shows government measures in place to support stages in the innovation process.

Conceptualisation, this process requires a need, incentive, or challenge to develop solutions for

problems.

Jamaica Scotland

Set goal of increasing the share of

renewables in the energy mix to

30% by 2030

Promotes the need for a low carbon

lifestyle

Set goal of reducing GHG emissions by 42% by 2050

Set goal of significant decarbonisation of road and

rail transportation by 2050

Set goal of reducing final energy use by 12%

through energy efficiency measures by 2020

Set goal of 80% share of electricity energy mix

coming from renewables by 2020

Promotes the need for a low carbon lifestyle

Feasibility Assessment and Development and Testing, these two stages are joined together here

because they often require similar support measures even though they are very distinct stages.

Support required is often in the form of market analysis services, investment, expertise, access to

facilities, and business advice.

Jamaica Scotland

Government encourages greater private

sector participation in Science and

Technology Development

Government plan to establish new

technology hubs/alliances

Export Support Initiative

Skills Development Scotland

Research institutions increasing allocations

to research that solves local problems

Provision of Awards

Caribbean Climate Innovation Centre

Office of Research and Innovation

(University of the West Indies, not low

carbon exclusive)

Technology Innovation Centre (University of

Technology, not low carbon exclusive)

Jamaica Venture Capital Programme

Business Gateway

Government launch of a centralised

point of access to knowledge and

expertise by businesses

Government investing in universities to

support partnership with businesses to

exploit research

Provision of awards

Incubators and Accelerators

Commercialisation and Implementation, this stage requires access to, among others, incentives,

funding, marketing services, trained and skilled staff, networks of suppliers, and business support and

advice.

Jamaica Scotland

Jamaica Venture Capital Programme

Caribbean Climate Innovation Centre

Streamlining of support from Scottish

Enterprise and Highland and Island

Enterprise for commercialisation and

innovation

Carbon Trust

Incubators and Accelerators

Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition

Programme

Addressing Barriers

In this section, government measures in place to address barriers in the innovation process are

highlighted.

Behavioural change, this is a necessary step for those innovations which requires changes to norms

for acceptance by end users. Such innovations are not able to be implemented or used satisfactorily

with current attitudes and behaviours. Change can be achieved through passive means or forced using

regulatory means such as bans, quotas, and taxation.

Jamaica Scotland

Promoting energy conservation in the

workplace and in households

By not subsidising high fuel and electricity

costs (whether intentional or not), results in

high energy costs which encourages

conservation and the consumption of

innovative products to reduce energy costs

Incentivising low carbon energy investment

Promoting energy conservation in the

workplace and in households

Implementing more stringent emission

requirements for vehicles, industries, and

power plants

Plan to make energy efficiency in houses a

national infrastructure priority

Incentivising green energy investment

Access to Funding, a factor necessary for all innovations, must be addressed for a successful

innovative process. Funding can be in the form of attractive and specific loans, grants, and investors.

Also, removing or reducing taxes can be seen as reducing the barrier of access to funds as it effectively

reduces the amount of funding required. Also, access to funding can be improved by making it easier

for entrepreneurs and entities to find funding sources.

Jamaica Scotland

Green energy loans from private financial

institutions with attractive interest rates

Providing low interest loans through the

through public sector financial institutions

National Innovation Awards

Caribbean Climate Innovation Centres

Proof of Concept Grant

First Angel Jamaica

Jamaica Venture Capital Programme

Providing fiscal and financial incentives

Government grants

Small business loans from private financial

institutions

Infrastructure and Innovation Fund

Created a central point for access to

business support services and funding

sources

Several venture capital entities

Several angel investor networks

Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS)

Freezing council tax bills

Low interest loans

Government Policies, these play a critical role at each stage of the innovation process. Policies can

help or deter the stimulation of conceptualisation, development and testing of solutions, and the ease

of full-scale production or implementation. It is therefore important for the government to set the

stage which allows an enabling environment to develop. Various government actions which have

made it easier for the innovation process were stated earlier in the previous section. Some areas

which policies and implementations by the government of Jamaica can improve are the ease of doing

business (commendable strides have been made but there is room for improvement), tax incentives

for start-ups, and high interest rates on loans (lower rates can be made available for low carbon

companies).

Technical Barriers, these are idea specific and typically require investment, expertise, access to

specialised equipment, and innovation.

Jamaica Scotland

Increasing partnerships between

universities and the private sector.

Skills and capacity building workshops

Increasing partnerships between

universities and the private sector.

Skills and capacity building workshops

Technology accelerators

Knowledge exchange

Research pooling

Conclusion

The difference in the development status between Scotland and Jamaica is mirrored in the difference

between the innovation support systems of both countries and perhaps, the two (development and

innovation) share a cause and effect relationship. The Scottish innovation system shows more signs of

specific focus, planning, organisation, and investment. Innovation is given a much higher level of

importance which shows in the actions by the Scottish government and private sector. It is possible

though, that the Jamaican government places high importance on innovation but the relatively small

economy and financial woes limit their ability to support innovation on a larger scale. In terms of

support at each stage in Jamaica, the weakest area is commercialisation and implementation. The

other stages are supported fairly well but there is much room for improvement. In terms of barriers

most work is needed in increasing access to venture capital funds, addressing technical barriers and

developing a specific policy for innovation. Funding is available but high interest rates makes them not

the most accessible.

Recommendations

While the recent efforts made by the Jamaican government (for innovation in general) are

commendable, there is much room for improvement (both general and especially for low carbon). A

strategic approach should be taken to address the barriers to and create the nurturing environment

for low carbon innovation. Such approach should be specific, thoroughly planned, and involve all

stakeholders (public and private sectors, communities, foreign partners, etc.) Currently, there are no

policies specific to low carbon innovation support and that is an excellent place to start. Such a policy

should cover action plans for most if not all areas related to low carbon innovation. The government

should make use of international best practices.

To further encourage conceptualisation, the government should consider:

Encouraging businesses to develop an innovative culture and be more proactive about solving

their problems rather than just complain about problems like high energy prices

Putting more pressure on academic institutions to shift knowledge supply to match

knowledge demand that is based on problems in the country

Adding innovation and entrepreneurial modules in secondary and tertiary-level institutions.

Publicise the importance for and current innovation in Jamaica

Set more specific low carbon goals to cover transport fuel, emissions, electricity generation,

and energy use per capita measures

To support the stages of feasibility assessment and development and testing, the government should

consider:

Working with appropriate entities to increase access to technologies and the internet

Increasing accessibility of business support and advice

Working with international partners to solve problems of lack of access to equipment and

expertise

Encouraging more secondments and internship placements

To support the commercialisation and implementation stage, the government should consider:

Creating a one stop website for access to marketing, financial, and business experts

Partnering with the private sector to create a low carbon specific start-up accelerator or

incubator

Establishing an agenda to increase the quality and exportation of Jamaican products and

services

To address the barrier of funding, the government should consider:

Lowering interest rates on low carbon business loans

Providing fiscal and financial incentives for businesses and investors that fund innovation and

R&D

To address technical barriers, the government should consider:

Increase partnerships with universities and research centres abroad to encourage research

pooling and knowledge exchange

Build capacity for developing low carbon products locally, regionally, and internationally

Access expertise present in multinational companies operating in the island

Encourage multinational companies operating in the island to provide internships to locals

It is highly recommended that the government work to see the creation of a one-stop low carbon

innovation incubator (and/or accelerator) entity (such as ECCI) which provides support at all stages in

the innovation process. This entity should be tasked with creating databases and relationships with

researchers, consultants, angel investors, venture capitalists, financial institutions, market analysts,

marketing managers, legal firms, and manufacturers. These databases will help to assist innovators at

the feasibility assessment, developing and testing, and commercialisation and implementation stages.

The intent is to minimise time spent by innovators looking for assistance and concepts (marketing,

financial, scientific, etc.) while maximising time spent on active progression. Also, this entity will,

through the database and good relationships with relevant parties, address some technical and

financial barriers. Frequent bulletins promoting low carbon technologies and practices, progress of

low carbon start-ups, major low carbon achievements in the private and public sectors, and the

impacts of carbon-intensive practices should be heavily publicised. The operating costs of this entity

should be met with a combination of start-up equity income, government funds, member fees

(members should be encouraged to get sponsorship from the private sector), fees from hosting events

(conferences, workshops, etc.), selling publications, and other means.