1. Caribbean Network for Land and Urban Management
Is research useful if not implemented? Enhancing research uptake and developing communication strategies for science, technology and innovation in the urban sector
Dr. Perry Polar and Dr. Asad Mohammed, Caribbean Network for Urban Planning and Land Management (blueSpace)
September , Tobago

2. Why do we need science, technology and innovation (STI)?
STI is critical to economic growth and improved livelihoods (GCI 2010)
Competitiveness, the set of institutions, policies and factors which determine the level of productivity of a country
More competitive economies have higher levels of income for citizens, better rates of return on investments, and will grow faster in the medium to long term

3. Trinidad & Tobago is trying to transition from efficiency to innovation economy
Basic requirements
Institutions
Infrastructure
Macroeconomic environment
Health and primary education
Key for factor-driven economies
- countries which compete based on their factor endowments, primarily unskilled labour and natural resources
Efficiency enhancers
Higher education and training
Goods market efficiency
Labor market efficiency
Financial market development
Technological readiness
Market size
Key for efficiency-driven economies
- Productivity increase, wages rise, develop more efficient production process and quality
Pillars of competitiveness
Innovation and sophistication factors
Business sophistication
Innovation
Key for innovation-driven economies
- To sustain wages and higher standard of living, unique products must be produced

4. Trinidad and Tobago ranked 84 out of 139 countries in GCI 2010
12th pillar: Innovation (94)
12.01 Capacity for innovation
12.02 Quality of scientific research institutions
12.03 Company spending on R&D
12.04 University-industry collaboration in R&D
12.05 Gov’t procurement of advanced tech products
12.06 Availability of scientists and engineers
12.07 Utility patents per million population
Why is this not translating into capacity for innovation?

5. Is the problem the uptake and social relevance of research?
Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI): REPORT ON CARIBBEAN COMPONENT OF IIED’S USER GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE TOOLS AND METHODS FOR INTEGRATING ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT (2008)
Lack of political will consistently appeared as one of the major constraints to effective environmental mainstreaming while values of individuals and companies were amongst the most frequently cited drivers.

6. Effort is needed in:
convincing politicians
public education and awareness
improving the cohesiveness and capacity of civil society to act as effective advocates and lobbyists
improving institutional linkages between different agencies and sectors
building technical capacity
improving access to information / sharing of information / organisation of information (e.g. common databases)
effective process – and in particular consultative processes and stakeholder participation in planning, implementation, monitoring and enforcement (most important)
availability of relevant data and information (understandable format, long term data collection, turfism)

7. The NSUS Project (ACP/EU)
TITLE: Strengthen research development and uptake capacity in urban, land and municipal management in the Caribbean (NSUS - Network for the application of STI to the urban sector)
Contribute to poverty alleviation in the urban areas of the Caribbean by placing socially relevant STI at the heart of applied research and policy making
Implement relevant aspects of existing STI for Sustainable Development – Caribbean Regional Policy Framework for Action
Themes: Urban sector, water, energy
Partners: CARICOM Secretariat, University of Guyana, Anton de Kom University of Surinam, University of Amsterdam

8. Why start with the urban, land and municipal management?
“There can be no sustainable development without sustainable urbanization and no sustainable urbanization without good urban planning (and management )” – Cliff Hague, SG Commonwealth Association of Planners
Lessons learnt can be applied to other sectors which utilize science, technology and innovation

9. How will NSUS improve uptake and make research and technology socially relevant?
Networking
Build linkages between the producers and the users of research to increase cohesiveness and improve effectiveness of advocates and lobbyists.
Provide opportunity for stakeholder dialogue in order to set and monitor the research agenda to ensure social relevance
Provide decision makers with a permanent or temporary independent Technical Advisory Groups

10. How will NSUS improve uptake and make research and technology socially relevant?
Capacity Building:
Improving qualification through distance learning (EDULINK)
Develop of tools/ techniques to determine:
If research is being conducted for STI in the urban sector
If there is uptake of the research in policies and programmes?
What are the challenges to uptake and means to overcome them

11. Information gathering and dissemination
How will NSUS improve uptake and make research and technology socially relevant?
Information gathering and dissemination
Develop consistent tool for collection of urban profiling data
Creating databases of human resources, institutions, bibliography of current research, projects, photos, GIS information etc.
Mechanism for stakeholders to obtain up to date information (Blog/ website)

12. The NSUS structure Three levels
A network: BlueSpace (CNULM) is the multi-stakeholder network (HEIs, CARICOM, professionals, government and municipal agencies). Operates through Secretariat. We may act on behalf of the community
A communication/dissemination tool : Website (
communication tool to promote dialogue among stakeholders
Repository for databases and other relevant information
A review process: Annual Policy Meetings and Technical Advisory Meetings to critique research produced and to set research agenda.

13. Technical Advisory Groups
Assessments and reviews
Reviewing existing profiling studies in the region
creating a bibliography of relevant urban research
cataloguing of human resources
identification of best practices
Technical studies
urban profiling mechanism for the Caribbean
Identification of the constraints to the uptake of research
Develop mechanisms to enhance use, adaptation and uptake
How to transfer lessons learnt on the urban sector other areas utilizing STI
Technical Advisory Groups
Technical Workshops
Technical and Policy working paper series
blueSpace
Annual policy meeting
Photos, current events
Expert/target groups
HEI’s Professionals, existing professionals, regional and municipal government agencies, civil society groups

14. Dr. Perry Polar and Dr. Asad Mohammed
Caribbean Network for Land and Urban Management
The End
Dr. Perry Polar and Dr. Asad Mohammed
ACP S&T Strengthen research development and uptake capacity in the Urban, Land and Municipal Management in the Caribbean (NSUS Network for the application of STI to the urban sector)
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