Most Caribbean businesses are either innovative or potentially innovative but still face challenges, according to a new report by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). This edition delves into the critical role of innovation in driving economic growth and productivity in the Caribbean region. Innovative businesses in the Caribbean have 26% to 35% higher levels of productivity and 21% to 81% higher sales per worker than non-innovative firms, depending on the type of innovation, according to the report titled "Innovation for Faster Economic Growth in the Caribbean: Are We There Yet?". The
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados– The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Development Centre of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) launched a new publication, Caribbean Development Dynamics, that provides comprehensive insights into how Caribbean countries can unlock their economic potential through the energy transition, the blue economy, sustainable tourism, and the digital transformation. The publication was presented at an event attended by IDB President Ilan Goldfajn, with the virtual participation of OECD Secretary General Mathias Cormann, and panel
A new publication by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Compete Caribbean urged Caribbean countries to advance on key reforms to improve the business environment and boost firm productivity in a bid to accelerate long-term growth. The book, “ Are We There Yet? The Path toward Sustainable Private Sector Development in the Caribbean ,” analyzes opportunities and challenges for key policy reforms aimed at increasing the competitiveness and dynamism of the region’s private sector. This comprehensive book offers a regional perspective, encompassing 13 Caribbean nations: Antigua and
Cali, COLOMBIA. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank presented today the core elements of the guidelines for capital markets instruments called Amazonia Bonds. These bonds will finance activities that have a positive impact on local communities, biodiversity, and zero deforestation efforts in the Amazon region. The guidelines outline project selection and evaluation criteria, measures to mitigate environmental and social risks, and indicators to report expected impact. Built on existing global market standards that underpin the sustainable bond markets—ICMA Principles
Pension systems in the Caribbean will run out of funds within the next 10 to 15 years unless urgent reforms are implemented to ensure their sustainability, according to a new publication by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Caribbean countries can build more resilient safety nets for their aging populations by addressing administrative inefficiencies, improving investment strategies, and considering adjustments to retirement age, among other measures, according to the report titled “ Building Resilient Safety Nets in the Caribbean: Future-Proofing Retirement Incomes.” The report is
The international meeting organized by the IDB's innovation and venture capital laboratory will promote innovative solutions that generate impact at scale in Latin America and the Caribbean. IDB Lab, the Inter-American Development Bank's innovation and venture capital lab, will hold the third edition of IDB Lab Forum Oct. 31-Nov. 1 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Forum is a flagship event dedicated to business innovation, venture capital and technology for development. This edition will focus on financing innovation and development of entrepreneurial ecosystems to generate greater impact in
IDB Lab, the innovation laboratory of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group), in collaboration with the IDB and IDB Invest, and the U.S. government, through its agency USAID, is launching the Sargassum Innovation Quest. The initiative aims to harness the potential of the sargassum biomass and improve the resilience in Latin America and the Caribbean’s coastal communities through the use of advanced technology and innovative practice. Since 2011, the region has faced significant challenges from the influx of sargassum, impacting tourism, fisheries and coastal ecosystems. The call
The Inter-American Development Bank's innovation laboratory, IDB Lab, has launched two innovative initiatives to protect biodiversity and promote sustainable development in the Amazon basin. The move was announced in Manaus, Brazil, during the Sustainability Week of IDB Invest, the private sector arm of the IDB Group, an event where global and regional leaders joined forces to foster sustainable solutions for the Amazon region. The approved projects, Amazon BeEco and ReGenerate Accelerator and Investment Fund for the Amazon, will provide bioeconomy training for families, communities and early