The Scientific Research Council (SRC) is to establish a pilot plant for the production of personal care and cosmetic products, new Executive Director Dr Charah Watson has said.

“We have been supporting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the development and production of products and one of the areas we have seen a lot of interest in is personal care and cosmetic products. In response, the SRC is building out a pilot plant to offer support to entrepreneurs who may want to make cosmetic products,” Dr Watson said.

She was speaking at a Jamaica Information Service ( JIS) think tank held recently at the agency’s head office in Kingston.

Dr Watson noted that the initiative should come on stream by the end of the first quarter of the 2021/2022 financial year, and will join the likes of its food pilot plant.

“The SRC has been offering training seminars and workshops to teach persons how to make products, and a lot of clients have gone on to make these products in their own space. However, as they expand, the capacity to produce may become challenging and that is where we want to offer our services,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Dr Watson noted that the entity helps persons to engage the United States (US) market through its Food and Drug Administration (FDA) filing services.

“Our manufacturers not only get access to the local market but through our support they can also enter international markets,” she noted.

Chairman of the SRC Board of Directors, Dr Parris Lyew-Ayee, who was also present, said that establishment of the new pilot plant is aligned with the entity’s mandate.

“Science is an important tool for development, it is transformative and wealth-building. As the SRC popularises the application of science and technology, we don’t want to leave people ‘high and dry’ in their entrepreneurial scientific pursuits. This is why as we continue to use science as a development vehicle, the SRC is committed to the development of MSMEs,” Dr Lyew-Ayee said.