FOUR of Jamaica’s top universities, led by their presidents and principals, will be coming together for an unprecedented unveiling of their own technology innovations that can impact health, crime, natural disaster risk and the blue and green economies, at the annual Social Good Summit 2018.

The four university leaders, backed by an expert panel will appear on the same stage at the Jamaica edition of the global summit spearheaded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) country office in Kingston. The event is being hosted at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) on Monday, October 1.

The high-level panel discussion will be addressed by Northern Caribbean University President Professor Dr Lincoln Edwards; The University of the West Indies, Mona, Principal Professor Dale Webber; University of Technology President Professor Stephen Vasciannie; and Caribbean Maritime University President Professor Fritz Pinnock.

They will speak about the innovations at their respective institutions in the four key areas identified as accelerators for implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in Jamaica. The accelerators were identified in a Cabinet-approved Roadmap for SDG implementation, funded by the UNDP.

Other speakers scheduled to participate will examine the regulatory environment for innovation and the culture of innovation in Jamaica. The panel discussion will be followed by an innovation expo, featuring technology and social innovation initiatives of the universities. The Go For The Goals Digital Hotspot will also be deployed to the summit with a customized Wi-Fi signal that permits the audience to receive digital resources on the Sustainable Development Goals on their smartphones without the need for an Internet connection.

“Innovation is the means by which we can quickly and efficiently solve some of our most persistent challenges, while advancing progress in areas that impact poverty, injustice and other inequalities,” UNDP Resident Representative Bruno Pouezat said.