Kingston, Jamaica (Loop) – The Scientific Research Council (SRC) is calling for greater collaboration among entities within the science sector to strengthen the nation’s ability to use science, technology and innovation to respond to developmental challenges.
“I want to highlight the need for greater collaboration among scientific and research institutes. We need to pool our resources… and establish a common agenda. We need to strive for a greater level of cohesion,” Executive Director of the SRC, Dr Cliff Riley, told JIS News.
Speaking at a recent JIS ‘Think Tank’, he said that the SRC welcomes the idea of Heads of various institutions coming together and discussing how they can collectively work towards solving societal issues using science and technology.
“It’s not a competition, and what we don’t want is for us to be competing too much and not working towards a common goal, which will yield greater benefits for society,” Dr Riley argued.
He noted that funding remains a hindrance to greater levels of development within the science field and highlighted that shared resources and collaborations can address this.
The SRC is an agency of the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology, with responsibility for new product development utilising science, technology and innovation.
As part of its product offerings, the agency has been providing several initiatives to strengthen institutions serving the micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) sector.
SOURCE: Loop News