Minister Wheatley Outlines New Strategic Direction for Science, Focused on National Resilience
Dr. the Honourable Andrew Wheatley, Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Science, Technology and Special Projects, has put forward a ten-year strategic proposal aimed at overhauling Jamaica’s Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) sector.
Dr. Wheatley’s proposal, which formed part of his keynote message at the recently held Scientific Research Council (SRC) Conversations in Science Conference, seeks to ensure that science is central to the nation’s ability to cope with ongoing shocks, which have resulted in billions of dollars in losses due to hydro-meteorological events.
The Minister said the strategy is built around achieving the national target of increasing Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) to 1.5% of GDP by 2030.
A Paradigm Shift
Minister Wheatley underscored the necessity of moving beyond fragmented academic research to a model of cohesive, immediate and practical impact.
“Our foundational belief is that science holds the cure to many of Jamaica’s problems,” said Minister Wheatley.
The core of the strategy is the commitment to Research for Development (R4D-JA), which is a deliberate shift towards mission-driven, problem-solving science.
“We are committing to Research for Development (R4D). This ensures every major project is directly deployed for the benefit of Jamaica’s resilience and economic growth,” Minister Wheatley stated.
The proposed “House of Innovation” framework serves as the institutional mechanism through which the National Commission on Science and Technology (NCST) provides unified national direction while ensuring seamless execution through public bodies such as the Scientific Research Council (SRC).
“This ambitious strategy relies on the full integration of Jamaica’s innovation ecosystem: academia, public sector research institutions, private sector stakeholders, and government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs),” the Minister said.
Furthermore, the Minister emphasized that “effective research and development can only be achieved through coordinated national participation and the active involvement of these key public bodies.”
Minister Wheatley also outlined key initiatives that will be advanced through wide-ranging stakeholder consultations including:
● Establishing a Unified R&D Network: The strategy proposes establishing the R4D-JA Network as a consolidated entity involving all research players, including our universities and statutory research institutions.
● Creating a National Shared Scientific Ecosystem: A significant investment is proposed for the modernization and centralization of national research infrastructure. This will culminate in the establishment of a modern Centralized Instrumentation Unit (CIU) at a key public sector site, benchmarked to relevant international standards. Crucially, this high-cost scientific equipment will not operate in isolation; it will be governed by the proposed ‘Lab-Share Passport’ system. This mechanism is designed to grant researchers and students across the entire ecosystem seamless, institutional access to these shared, high-precision assets, ensuring maximum utilization and fostering system-wide collaboration. This will significantly boost national capacity for data analysis for infrastructure and export certification.
● Prioritizing Human Capital: The strategy will ensure long-term sustainability by scaling up the NEST (Nurturing Early Scientific Thinking) Programme to build scientific literacy from early childhood.
● Dedicated Focus on Food Security: The strategy proposes the establishment of a specialized Agricultural Food Security Hub within a key public sector research body to drive the development of climate-resilient crop varieties.
Minister Wheatley reiterated that Jamaica can transform its vulnerabilities into opportunities for long-term resilience and growth.
“With science as our shield and innovation as our engine, Jamaica will not just weather the storm, but we will master it.”