At the 2025 Local Content Summit, President Irfaan Ali announced ambitious plans to transform Guyana’s innovation landscape with the establishment of a world-class National Innovation Centre, modeled after top institutions like those at the University of California (Berkeley) and in collaboration with global partners like NASA.
“What I want us to have here is a National Berkeley Guyana Institute of Innovation instead of Guyana Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST),” President Ali revealed.
The Head of State further noted that IAST will be converted into the Berkeley Institute. President Ali said soon arrangements will conclude on the establishment of innovation institute here in Guyana.
“We are going to target innovators that are already in with something, so we have to have scouters,” the President said.
The goal, he explained is to position Guyana at the forefront of cutting-edge technology, research, and development within the Community of Latin American and Caribbean states (CELAC).
“I believe that we have to be competitive in a way that is different.
“In a way in which we will lead the next generation of business opportunity in this CELAC region, in which we will lead the human output here in the CELAC region and to do that we have to associate with the best, we have to build partnership with the best,” President Ali stated.
President Ali also noted ongoing discussions with leading global innovators from Silicon Valley, some of whom are currently conducting human trials in healthcare, to bring their groundbreaking technologies to Guyana.
“That is what India did, that is how India leapfrogged their technological sector not by starting from scratch [but by] creating an enabling environment.”
The initiative is also designed to create opportunities for the private sector to invest something that is “futuristic” and create a new space “for those who want to be in a society that is not just catching up, but truly competitive.”
President Ali further stated that “this is what the revenues from oil and gas allows us to do, to be bold, to be innovative, to be ambitious.
“It does not allow us to share out money like every day Christmas it allows you to space to be innovative and bold in your thinking.”
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