Jamaica’s ability to cope with a globalized knowledge economy

This paper examines the ability of Jamaica to cope in a world that is highly competitive and driven by the information and knowledge emerging from the rapid growth of science and technology (S & T). It was placed against the background that a few countries have invested heavily in these factors and many have not, causing a wide and growing socio-economic divide between the different parties. Jamaica was presented as a country that has not made sufficient S & T expenditures and has slipped from a middle to a lower middle income country, with great difficulties satisfying the needs of its population. The point was however made that the island possesses a relatively modern S & T infrastructure with most accepted functional elements. Nevertheless, there are serious deficiencies, such as inadequate quality and quantity of talent, no long term funding mechanism, as well as, weak scale - up pilot plant, transfer of technology and technological incubator facilities. The hallmarks of dynamic innovation systems that are integral to a knowledge economy were lacking in the Jamaican situation, even though the island has had a long S & T history. Accordingly, suggestions to rectify this shortcoming were provide