PORT OF SPAIN: On January 21, 2025, the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB)launched its Emerging Technology Laboratory – TechLab Trinidad and Tobago Hub. The Trinidad and Tobago TechLab is the fourth laboratory established by the IDB, complementing existing hubs in Washington, D.C., Panama, and Paraguay. This Lab, located at its Country Office in St. Clair Trinidad highlights the IDB’s commitment to advancing technology-driven development in the Caribbean.
Senator the Honourable, Hassel Bacchus, Minister of Digital Transformation in his opening remarks noted, “This new TechLab promises to make a significant contribution to narrowing the software development divide that often constrains innovation and entrepreneurship in small economies like those of the Caribbean.”
Established in 2017, the TechLab is part of the IDB Group’s Technology Department and serves to harness emerging technologies for sustainable development across Latin America and the Caribbean. The TechLab in Trinidad and Tobago is set to:
- Create transformative solutions for sustainable development.
- Improve access to public services.
- Address socioeconomic and environmental challenges.
- Explore and safely implement innovative technologies.
- Visitors to and users of the Lab will have access to VR headsets, 3D printers, IoT development kits, robots, and more. This facility offers local entrepreneurs and innovators an opportunity to prototype and test ideas without significant upfront costs, fostering collaboration and creative problem-solving.
Mr. Jean-Michel Beaudoin, IDB Chief Information Officer, emphasized in his remarks the significance of this digital innovation hub for the region. Similarly, the Honourable Pennelope Beckles, Minister of Planning and Development, in her address, underscored the transformative potential of TechLab, noting its role in empowering local innovators and entrepreneurs.
This TechLab will also form part of the suite of benefits available to registered members of the Ministry’s Developer’s Hub Programme. This will be on a limited basis in the initial stages and will give software developers and tech pioneers working on innovative projects access to a modern, resource-rich space for developing solutions that address local and regional challenges.
With its potential to accelerate the region’s digital transformation agenda, the TechLab represents a bold step toward a more innovative and sustainable future for Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean.
