Making Waves

Making Waves

24

A Caribbean Social Innovation Guide

Universities and Research Institutions

Universities and research organisations generate knowledge, conduct research, provide deep scientific validation, run baseline data tracking systems, and build specialized technical training courses.

Caribbean Examples • The University of the West Indies

• Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) • The Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) • National Institute of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (NIHERST)

These institutions act as essential research anchors to help move local projects from soft business training toward “hard” scientific testing and data management. They help turn promising ideas into evidence-based solutions that can be tested, improved and scaled.

01 . Understanding Social Innovation in the Caribbean

Social Enterprises

Social enterprises combine business with purpose, generating income while creating positive social or environmental impact.

With social innovation we can move from reaction to proactive resilience and adaptation.

Caribbean Examples • Rum & Sargassum Inc. (Green energy supplier company) • WHYFARM (Food security and nutrition nonprofit) • Agricultural and community cooperatives

They demonstrate that doing good and generating income can go hand in hand, creating organisations that are both impactful and financially sustainable.