AGP Executive Report

Biotech & IP: Barbados is moving to patent three novel microbes from UWI Cave Hill researcher Dr Bidyut Mohapatra’s sargassum work after major pharma firms showed interest—Export Barbados says protecting intellectual property could unlock big industrialisation gains. Energy & Policy: Former Central Bank governor Dr Delisle Worrell warns distributed power supply may raise costs, urging Caribbean governments to consider hydroelectric options and storage-backed, centrally run renewable generation. Engineering & Talent: The Barbados Association of Professional Engineers (BAPE) awarded four Angus Edghill Scholarship Fund recipients $25,000 each to support engineering studies tied to national priorities like renewables and resilience. Health Tech & Training: QEH is partnering with UWI plus Era University and the American University of Barbados to modernise medical education through AI and boost digital health research and clinical training. Agriculture Resilience: Barbados is preparing stronger surveillance, testing and monitoring for animal disease threats like African Swine Fever, with a focus on protecting farmers and food security. Regional STEM Leadership: Niel Harper, a Barbados-born cybersecurity specialist, has been appointed to ICANN’s board, aiming to ensure Latin America and the Caribbean have a stronger voice in internet governance. Powering the Grid: BLPC marks 115 years of electricity in Barbados, highlighting its shift from early generation to solar and battery storage as the island plans a cleaner future.

Sargassum Science & IP: Barbados is set to patent three novel microorganisms found in sargassum seaweed after UWI scientist Prof. Bidyut Mohapatra said major pharma firms showed interest—while the government aims to keep the commercial and environmental value in Bajan hands. Digital Health & Medical Training: Queen Elizabeth Hospital is partnering with UWI plus Era University (India) and American University of Barbados to modernise medical education and expand digital health research and clinical training. Internet Governance: Barbados-born cybersecurity specialist Niel Harper has joined ICANN’s board, setting priorities for giving Latin America and the Caribbean a stronger voice in internet domain decisions. Renewables Debate: Former Central Bank Governor Dr Delisle Worrell warns distributed solar-and-wind may raise costs, urging Caribbean governments to consider hydroelectric power and central storage models. Agriculture Biosecurity: The Ministry of Agriculture is preparing a major surveillance and rapid-response programme for African Swine Fever to protect food security and livelihoods. Workplace & Courts Tech: Barbados began virtual District ‘C’ magistrates’ hearings to cut delays and improve case handling, while UWI warned productivity is slipping as the workforce shrinks. Regional Tech/Business Moves: PBS Group has taken full control of Trinidad Systems Limited, and TouchStar appointed a new managing director as it pushes AI-native civic and government tech. Tourism Sustainability: CTO appointed Barbadian Courtney-Diana Walker as program officer, sustainable tourism, to drive regenerative tourism across the region.

Patenting Sargassum Microbes: UWI scientist Prof. Bidyut Mohapatra says the government will seek patent protection for three novel microorganisms from sargassum, aiming to keep commercial and environmental value in Barbados as pharma firms show interest. Digital Justice: Barbados’ District ‘C’ Magistrates’ Court begins virtual hearings to cut delays and improve access, with officials calling it a key step in modernising the justice system. AI in Healthcare Education: QEH partners with UWI and two universities (AUB and Era University) to modernise medical training and expand digital health and research collaboration. Animal Disease Readiness: The Ministry of Agriculture plans stronger surveillance, testing and monitoring for African Swine Fever, including rapid response capacity for food security and livelihoods. Sustainable Tourism Leadership: The Caribbean Tourism Organization appoints Barbadian Courtney-Diana Walker as program officer, sustainable tourism, to support regenerative tourism priorities. Tech & Business Growth: TouchStar names Jamal Cobham managing director as it pushes AI-native software and deep-tech expansion from Barbados. Internet Governance: Barbados-born cybersecurity specialist Niel Harper joins ICANN’s board, outlining priorities for Latin America and the Caribbean in global domain management. Energy Debate: Former Central Bank governor Delisle Worrell argues hydroelectric power may be a lower-cost renewable path than Barbados’ distributed solar-and-wind model. Workforce Pressure: UWI Cave Hill warns productivity is slipping as the labour force shrinks, urging action on human resources to protect competitiveness. Regional Crime Prevention: CARICOM forms a youth advisory committee to help shape crime and violence prevention tools and policy outputs.

Sustainable Tourism: The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has appointed Barbadian tourism and communications professional Courtney-Diana Walker as program officer, sustainable tourism, to help deliver its Reimagine Plan 2025–2027 and push sustainable, regenerative tourism across the region. Digital Health & Medical Training: Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) is partnering with UWI and two private universities—American University of Barbados (AUB) and Era University in India—to modernise medical education and expand research and digital health training. Energy Policy: Former Central Bank governor Dr Delisle Worrell argues Barbados should consider hydroelectric power instead of relying on distributed solar-and-wind, warning distributed power could raise costs and force expensive grid upgrades. Sports Science: A 19-year-old Barbadian, Michael J.D. Hall, is launching a free High Performance Athlete Assessment Initiative to improve how athletes are evaluated and supported after injuries. Agriculture Biosecurity: Barbados is preparing a major investment programme to strengthen surveillance, testing and monitoring for animal and food disease outbreaks, with a focus on rapid response to African Swine Fever. Education Tech & Access: Barbados rolls out universal early childhood education and a national primary school breakfast programme, while also expanding school support initiatives for the new term. AI in Public Governance: CARTAC is hosting a regional workshop on adapting public financial management for AI, pushing a “digital by design” approach for small island states. Court Modernisation: Virtual hearings have begun at District ‘C’ Magistrates’ Court to cut delays and reduce prisoner transport, marking a step toward a more digital justice system. Regional Tech Business: PBS Group has taken full control of Trinidad Systems Limited (TSL), appointing TSL CEO Stuart Franco as COO for PBS’s Eastern Caribbean cluster. Maritime Security: Windward reports fraudulent ship registry flags and false AIS meetings are still widespread, shifting risk onto bunker suppliers and raising compliance pressure.

AI in Healthcare: UWI Cave Hill, Era University (India) and the American University of Barbados are partnering with QEH to modernise medical education through AI and boost research training, including digital health support for junior doctors, students, residents and nursing staff. Public Health & Biosecurity: Barbados’ Ministry of Agriculture is preparing a major surveillance and rapid-response investment to strengthen testing and monitoring for animal disease threats like African Swine Fever. Digital Justice: District ‘C’ Magistrates’ Court in Barbados begins virtual hearings to cut delays, reduce prisoner transport and improve court operations. Education Tech & Access: Universal early childhood education rolls out islandwide, while a national primary breakfast programme expands to about 17,000 pupils to tackle hunger at the start of the school day. STEM Pipeline: LUCELEC’s SPISE scholarship supports Saint Lucian students at UWI Cave Hill, building regional STEM confidence and pathways. Local Tech Business: TouchStar appoints Jamal Cobham as Managing Director as it pushes AI-native software and civic/government tech from Barbados to international markets. Regional Tech Governance: CARTAC hosts an AI-focused workshop in SVG on modernising public financial management with a “digital by design” approach.

Mental Health & Local Talent: Willowbrooke Psychiatric Center in Carrollton welcomed Barbadian-trained psychiatrist Alexandra Reischman, expanding adult and senior psychiatric evaluations, medication management, and cognitive care after her American Psychiatric Association Recognition Award. Regional Youth & Safety: CARICOM launched a Youth Advisory Committee on the Prevention of Crime and Violence, giving 18–29-year-olds a direct role in shaping webinars, toolkits, and policy outputs. Aviation Tech Shock: Airlines hit out at Britain’s air traffic system after a major outage caused thousands of cancellations, putting NATS and its leadership under intense scrutiny. Workplace Rights: Barbados Employment Rights Tribunal decisions highlighted the need for proper dismissal procedures and record-keeping, with compensation awarded in an unfair dismissal case. Barbados Digital Health Push: Officials say health-sector digitisation must improve interoperability and governance without excluding elderly, rural, or disabled patients, while also planning for cyber and climate risks. Court Modernisation: District ‘C’ Magistrates’ Court began virtual hearings to cut backlogs and reduce prisoner transport, marking a practical step toward a more digital justice system. Education Tech & Access: Barbados rolled out universal early childhood access and a national primary breakfast programme, alongside new school initiatives and academy programming. Regional Tech Growth: TouchStar appointed Jamal Cobham as Managing Director to drive AI-native civic/government tech, robotics, and emerging deep-tech—keeping Barbados as its HQ. Regional Business Consolidation: PBS Group completed full ownership of Trinidad Systems Limited, appointing TSL’s CEO to oversee the Eastern Caribbean cluster including Barbados. STEM Pipeline: LUCELEC’s SPISE scholarship continued to send Saint Lucian students to UWI Cave Hill for intensive STEM training and broader study pathways. Water Infrastructure: Barbados Water Authority flagged prolonged St Thomas low-pressure issues as a crisis situation, ramping up monitoring, field checks, and repairs in affected high-elevation areas. Heritage Tech for Learning: Barbados Museum announced a capital campaign to upgrade galleries, add interactive tech, and expand its conservation lab and storage.

Digital Health & Governance: Barbados is pushing ahead with digital health records under the Health Services Resilience Programme, but officials say the system must protect access for elderly, rural, disabled and other vulnerable groups, with stronger oversight, cybersecurity roles and data protection—especially as hurricanes, flooding and even server cooling risks could threaten hospital IT. Education Tech & Access: The new school year brings universal early childhood education at no cost, plus a national primary breakfast programme now reaching about 17,000 pupils, alongside upgrades and training as part of a wider education transformation. AI for Public Finance: CARTAC and St Vincent and the Grenadines hosted a regional workshop on modernising public financial management with AI and “digital by design,” warning that tech can’t replace sound institutions and good data. Local Health Capacity: Barbados’ QEH expansion plans highlight the need for more beds, lab capacity and a dedicated burn unit to reduce overseas referrals. Water Infrastructure: Barbados Water Authority flags prolonged low pressure in St Thomas as a “crisis situation,” using monitoring, field checks and repairs in Melrose, Edgehill Heights and Edgehill Terrace. STEM Pipeline: TouchStar appoints Jamal Cobham as managing director to expand AI-native civic/government tech and robotics, with Barbados as the headquarters.

Education Transformation: Barbados rolls out universal early childhood education islandwide and expands the primary school breakfast programme to about 17,000 pupils, as Education Minister Chad Blackman pushes a broader school transformation that also includes tech and refurbishment. Digital Health: Barbados is urged to keep pressing its health-record digitisation after a 2022 assessment flagged fragmented systems, weak interoperability, and data protection gaps—plus new risks from storms and connectivity failures. AI for Public Finance: CARTAC and St Vincent and the Grenadines host a regional workshop on adapting public financial management for AI, with a “digital by design” push across 19 member states. Water & Infrastructure: Barbados Water Authority calls prolonged St Thomas low-pressure and outages a “crisis situation,” ramping up monitoring and repairs in Melrose, Edgehill Heights and Edgehill Terrace. STEM & Skills: LUCELEC-backed SPISE returns with Saint Lucian students gaining STEM confidence at UWI Cave Hill. Tech & Society: Barbados Museum launches a capital campaign to upgrade galleries, add interactive tech, and build a conservation lab. Public Safety: Police charge and a contractor pleads guilty in an assault case involving Health Minister Lisa Cummins. Global Tech/Science: New research shows underwater robots can interpret diver pointing in 3D, improving human-robot help in complex underwater scenes.

Education Transformation: Education Minister Chad Blackman opened the First Form Academy at Princess Margaret Secondary School in Six Roads, St Philip, with support plus math, English, conversational Spanish and integrated science, alongside emotional intelligence, financial literacy, career awareness, mental health, citizenship and leadership. Early Childhood Access: The ministry also launched universal early childhood education across Barbados, guaranteeing pre-primary access at no cost to families. School Nutrition: A national breakfast programme is now reaching about 17,000 primary students to stop children arriving hungry, with the ministry monitoring food quality and delivery timing. Digital Government & AI: CARTAC hosted an AI-focused workshop in St Vincent and the Grenadines on modernizing public financial management with a “digital by design” approach. Digital Health: Barbados is pushing ahead with digital health records, but officials say governance, patient access and cybersecurity must protect elderly, rural and disabled groups. Public Safety & Tech: Barbados Customs is reviewing new regulations tied to new technology and updated procedures, rolling out by October. Local Tech & Infrastructure: The Barbados Water Authority is treating prolonged St Thomas water pressure problems as a crisis while engineers investigate outages in Melrose, Edgehill Heights and Edgehill Terrace. Health System Capacity: QEH expansion plans highlight more beds, a dedicated burn unit and expanded cancer treatment resources.

Digital Health in Barbados: Barbados is pushing ahead with health-sector digital transformation, but officials say a 2022 assessment found fragmented systems, weak interoperability, data-quality gaps, and the need for stronger governance, cybersecurity roles, and protections so elderly, rural, and disabled patients aren’t left out. Water Supply Crisis: The Barbados Water Authority is treating prolonged low pressure and outages in St Thomas (Melrose, Edgehill Heights, Edgehill Terrace) as a crisis, using monitoring and field repairs to pinpoint causes. Public Health Tech & Care Capacity: QEH’s expansion plans highlight more labs, a dedicated burn unit, extra beds, and cancer treatment resources to address chronic shortages. Transport Digitisation: A cashless fare pilot for public service vehicles is set to start in weeks, using automated fare tech on eight routes to cut paper tickets and fare fraud. Forensic Science Regional Boost: A Caribbean forensic push is expanding lab capacity and shared standards for detecting synthetic drugs and linking cases across borders. Underwater Robotics: Researchers report new pointing-based navigation for underwater robots, helping them interpret where divers mean in 3D—useful for inspection and retrieval in complex underwater scenes. Barbados Museum Upgrade: The Barbados Museum launches a capital campaign to modernise galleries, add interactive tech, and expand its conservation lab and storage. Health Advocacy Loss: Hope Foundation mourns founder Shelley Weir, whose patient-led work shaped chronic illness advocacy in Barbados and the wider Caribbean.

Health Tech Upgrade: Barbados is pressing ahead with digital transformation in healthcare, but officials say the system still has fragmented records, weak interoperability between QEH, polyclinics, labs and pharmacies, plus data quality, connectivity, governance, cybersecurity and data-protection gaps—while planners stress protections so elderly, rural and disabled patients aren’t left out. Hospital Capacity: QEH’s US$175m expansion plan is also being framed around practical tech-and-care needs: more beds, lab capacity, cancer resources and a dedicated burn unit to reduce the need for overseas treatment. Water Reliability: Barbados Water Authority is treating prolonged low pressure and outages in St Thomas (Melrose, Edgehill Heights, Edgehill Terrace) as a crisis, ramping up monitoring, field checks and repairs. Smart Transport: A cashless bus pilot is set to start in weeks, fitting eight public service vehicles with automated fare tech to cut paper tickets and fare fraud. Public Sector Modernisation: Attorneys are weighing virtual hearings in Magistrates’ Courts—welcoming efficiency but urging safeguards and continued in-person access. Science & Learning: Barbados Museum launches a capital campaign to upgrade galleries, add interactive tech, and expand its conservation lab and storage. STEM in Action: Divers are using a new 3D pointing approach to help underwater robots interpret gestures with depth, improving human-robot teamwork underwater. Regional Tech Policy: Caribbean leaders are calling for monitoring and evaluation built for small island realities, not copied from G20 models. Safety Reminder: Marine biologist Leo Brewster renews warnings about the Hot Pot inlet after a recent drowning, citing unstable, shifting conditions driven by industrial outflow and currents.

Underwater Robotics: Researchers unveiled DIP-3D, an algorithm that helps underwater robots interpret a scuba diver’s pointing in 3D, solving the old problem of guessing distance when multiple objects line up. Water Security in St Thomas: Barbados Water Authority is treating long-running low-pressure and outages in Melrose, Edgehill Heights and Edgehill Terrace as a crisis, using monitoring and field repairs to find the cause. Digital Health Governance: As Barbados digitises health records, officials say access and cybersecurity oversight must protect elderly, rural and disabled patients, while planning for hurricane and flooding risks to hospital IT. Museum Tech + Conservation: The Barbados Museum launched a capital campaign to upgrade galleries, add interactive tech, and expand its conservation lab and collection storage. QEH Expansion Priorities: QEH’s US$175m expansion consultation highlighted lab, bed and cancer treatment gaps, including the need for a dedicated burn unit. Public Transport Cashless Pilot: AOPT says a digital fare pilot for eight public service vehicles starts in 2–3 weeks to cut paper tickets and fare fraud. Customs Modernisation: New Customs regulations and standard operating procedures are set to roll out by October, alongside new technology. Regional Policy Tech: CDB launched CEvalSpace 2026 in Barbados to improve Caribbean monitoring and evaluation, with Marsha Caddle warning against copying G20-style frameworks. Health & Safety Reminder: Marine biologist Dr Leo Brewster renewed his warning to stay out of the Hot Pot inlet after a recent drowning, citing unstable conditions driven by shifting outflows and currents.

Digital Health & Cybersecurity: Barbados’ Health Services Resilience Programme is moving ahead with digitised health records, but officials say access protections and clear cybersecurity roles must be built in so elderly, rural, disabled and other vulnerable groups aren’t left out. Museum Tech & Preservation: The Barbados Museum is launching a capital campaign to upgrade galleries, add interactive tech, and expand its conservation laboratory and collection storage. Hospital Expansion Focus: QEH’s 42-month expansion update highlights new lab capacity, more beds, and cancer and burn-unit resources to reduce overcrowding and the need to send burn patients overseas. Public Transport Cashless Pilot: A digital payment trial for public service vehicles is set to begin in the next 2–3 weeks, fitting eight buses with automated fare tech to cut paper tickets and fare fraud. Customs Modernisation: New Customs regulations are due by October, tied to updated standard operating procedures and new technology for how the department serves the public. Education & Skills: Barbados Community College students received a new agriculture scholarship, while a separate internship programme is placing students into real workplace roles. Safety Science Reminder: Marine biologist Dr Leo Brewster renews warnings about the Hot Pot inlet after a recent drowning, explaining how shifting sand and currents make it dangerously unpredictable. Regional Tech Governance: Nevis is taking part in a “Digital Age” parliamentary conference, including youth discussions on AI’s implications for the Caribbean. Regional Funding & Decision-Making: CDB launched CEvalSpace 2026 in Barbados to help the region build better monitoring and evaluation systems tailored to small island realities.

Digital Health & Cybersecurity: Barbados is consulting on the digital component of the Health Services Resilience Programme, with officials stressing patient access protections for elderly, rural and disabled groups, plus governance, clear cybersecurity roles, and disaster-proofing for data centres and hospital IT during hurricanes, flooding and even seismic risk. Healthcare Infrastructure: Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s 42-month expansion is being framed around lab upgrades, a dedicated burn unit, more beds, and expanded cancer treatment capacity after concerns about overcrowding and the need to send burn patients overseas. Museum Tech & Preservation: The Barbados Museum is launching a capital campaign to modernise galleries with interactive technology and expand its conservation laboratory and collection storage. Public Transport Payments: A cashless fare pilot for public service vehicles is set to begin in weeks, fitting eight buses with automated fare tech to cut paper tickets and fare fraud. Education & Agriculture: Three Barbados Community College students received a new agriculture scholarship from Lions Club of Barbados North, supporting food security-focused training. Business & Funding: A local economics push argues for more equity financing conversations for entrepreneurs, especially for innovation like AI. Safety Warning: Marine biologist Dr Leo Brewster reiterates the “Hot Pot” inlet warning after a recent drowning, citing shifting sand and dangerous currents. Regional Tech Governance: The Caribbean Evaluation Space 2026 opened in Barbados to help tailor monitoring and evaluation systems to small-island realities, not copied G20 frameworks.

Museum Tech & Heritage: The Barbados Museum is launching a multi-year capital campaign to upgrade galleries, add interactive tech, and expand its conservation laboratory and collection storage. Health Infrastructure: QEH’s US$175m expansion plan flags a new lab, dedicated burn unit, more beds, and extra cancer treatment capacity to tackle overcrowding and limited clinical space. Public-Sector Pay & Jobs: The NUPW is reviewing results from a major 20-year public job regrading exercise, with workers able to appeal individual assessed-value outcomes. Digital Payments for Transit: A cashless bus pilot is set to start in 2–3 weeks, fitting eight public service vehicles with automated fare tech to cut paper tickets and fare fraud. Fisheries Innovation: Barbados fisheries will move horizontal longline fleets from J-hooks to circle hooks, aiming for better tuna catch and higher survival for released species. Regional Planning & Learning: CDB launched CEvalSpace 2026 in Barbados to strengthen Caribbean monitoring and evaluation systems—built for small-island realities, not copied from G20 models. Safety Reminder: Coastal Zone experts again warn against swimming at the “Hot Pot” inlet, citing how shifting conditions can turn shallow areas into deadly traps.

Tourism Tech & Policy: Guyana President Irfaan Ali will keynote CTO’s SOTIC 2026 in October, framing Caribbean tourism around smart, sustainable, inclusive growth and how innovation and technology can build resilience. Public Sector Jobs: Barbados public workers face changes after a major regrading exercise; the NUPW says affected staff can appeal outcomes and flag concerns as the union reviews the report. Digital Governance in the Region: Nevis is taking part in the CPA conference on “Strengthening Parliaments in the Digital Age,” with a focus on keeping parliamentary decorum intact while youth leaders discuss AI’s impact. Cyber Safety for Families: A BBB warning highlights how romance scams start via Facebook/Instagram DMs, escalate with “emergencies,” and push victims toward wiring money or gift cards. Customs Modernisation: Barbados’ Customs regulations are set to roll out by October, tied to new standard operating procedures and technology upgrades. Health & Risk Alerts: Barbados’ marine biologist renews a hard warning to stay out of the “Hot Pot” inlet after a recent drowning, citing unstable conditions shaped by industrial runoff. Transport Payments Pilot: A cashless fare trial for public service vehicles is expected in the next few weeks, using automated fare technology to cut fraud and remove paper tickets. Fishing Rules Update: Barbados fisheries authorities plan to require circle hooks for horizontal longline vessels, aiming to improve tuna catch while boosting survival for released species. Regional Development Data: CDB launched CEvalSpace 2026 in Barbados to help Caribbean countries build monitoring and evaluation systems that fit small-island realities.