UNDP Barbados & the Eastern Caribbean officially launched its Blue Economy Accelerator Lab to the public last week at the “Blue Lab Live” event. This marked the start of what will be a three-year initiative established by UNDP’s global Accelerator Labs, the world’s largest and fastest learning network around development challenges.

UNDP’s Resident Representative, Mr. Martinez-Soliman addressed the gathering of innovators and environmentalists and commented on the ability of the blue economy to improve the position of Small Island Developing States: “we need to diversify our economies so that they’re less vulnerable to shocks, more resilient to changes and more socially inclusive so that no one is left behind. The blue economy could be a solution.”

Following Mr. Martinez-Soliman, the Honorable Kirk Humphrey, Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy, forecasted the impact of the Blue Lab on the future of Barbados, noting: “what the UNDP is doing through the Blue Lab is creating a space for the realization of that vision that we have for young people to be seen, to be heard and to be felt. That is so necessary because we have to create a space now to transform not only Barbados, not only the Caribbean, but to transform the world.”

The Blue Lab’s Head of Exploration, Nikola Simpson, commented on the significant role the blue economy plays in Barbados, saying: “if you come down here [Carlisle Bay] tomorrow morning or on the weekend, you may see Mrs. Jones having a morning sea bath, or Mr. Brathwaite casting his fishing net. A catamaran. People diving. A cruise ship to the west. A fishing boat on the horizon. This is blue, we all have a part to play in this.”

As the Blue Economy Accelerator Lab is focused on boosting emerging grassroots innovations in the blue economy space, the event began with a mini “Science Lab.” In this portion of the evening, locally-based ideators demonstrated the steps and procedures behind their concepts. This included a presentation by Dr. Nikolai Holder, a research scientist in the Department of Biological & Chemical Sciences at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus. Within the Science Lab, Dr. Holder displayed how bio-methanation is produced by converting green waste through a process called anaerobic digestion.

Dr. Holder was joined by numerous innovators in the Science Lab including Joshua Forte and Bryan Cummings (Red Diamond founders and 2019 first place winners of ClimateLaunchpad Barbados National Finals), Kerri-Ann Bovell (UWI, Cave Hill research student concentrating on manufacturing a starch-based bioplastic for non-food packaging), Dennis Sobers (founder of Lapiscalpo, a new form of art using local stones), Dr. Legena Henry (researcher at UWI Cave Hill examining renewable energy) and Christopher Burnett (Marketing Strategist, Bitt Digital Inc.) Together, innovators illustrated the possible categories of experimentation that are a part of the Blue Lab’s portfolio, including innovative finance, biotechnology, waste management and renewable energy. Throughout the event, guests snacked on a locally sourced menu featuring breadfruit, lionfish and amber jack.

The Blue Lab is a part of UNDP’s global Accelerator Labs initiative, which aims to re-imagine development for the 21st century in response to today’s complex, rapidly changing challenges. In line with the Accelerator Labs, the Blue Lab will initiate testing and experimentation with solutions rooted in the blue economy. The core Blue Lab team includes Nikola Simpson (Head of Exploration), Jordanna Tennebaum (Head of Solutions Mapping) and Therez Walker (Head of Experimentation). The Accelerator Labs are supported financially by the Qatar Development Fund and the German Development Cooperation.