Improving competitiveness and increasing   economic diversification in the Caribbean : the role of ICT

Rodriguez, Camila; Rabkin, David; Escobari, Marcela

Improving competitiveness and increasing economic diversification in the Caribbean : the role of ICT

Rodriguez, Camila | Rabkin, David | Escobari, Marcela

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can provide existing companies and new entrepreneurs an opportunity to engage in, and manage, the new dynamics of the global marketplace. Most important, ICT offer the opportunity for firms to learn from the best in the world, at a keystroke. ICT, used correctly, can level the playing field. "Going high tech", however, does not in and of itself make a firm competitive. ICT are tools that are as effective as the strategies driving their use. While many studies have been done to determine access and ability to use ICT, the goal of this study is to focus on how the adoption of ICT has or has not created the productivity improvement necessary for sustained growth. We also dissect some of the ICT pilot projects that have been tried throughout the region to better understand the sources of success or failure. infoDev plays a unique role in providing research on ICT to inform policy and projects led by members of the multilateral community. Following their mandate, the explicit recommendations coming out of this analysis will be directed towards governments and multilateral organizations seeking to take a progressive role in strengthening the impact of ICT in firm-level competitiveness and improving growth.

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