Dear Editor,
As St. Maarten stands at a critical juncture, the need for a transformative and visionary outlook becomes ever more apparent. Claude Wathey’s vision, though once relevant and beneficial to the island, has now reached its limits. The time has come to make a very important decision. We can either follow the same old path, fading into obscurity and slowly losing our regional uniqueness, or we can boldly embrace a new direction – one that champions progress, sustainability, and long-term development to shape the next 50 years of our nation’s history.
In this article, we embark on an exploration of a grand and ambitious vision that can serve as the driving force behind our nation’s growth. By uniting our goals, decisions, and values under this aspirational framework, we will ensure our resilience and unlock our true potential for success.
So, what does this grand new vision entail? As the title may have hinted, it aims to position St. Maarten as a prominent innovation hub in the Caribbean. This bold and expansive vision embraces various approaches to innovation, allowing each individual to reach their highest potential and surpass it, without limitations on our thinking. To achieve this, my advocacy revolves around sustainability, pioneering revolutionary energy solutions, harnessing the power of blockchain technology, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and collaboration. These transformative endeavors will pave the way for a prosperous and dynamic future, re-establishing our position as trailblazers in the region.
Becoming the most sustainable island in the Caribbean
Innovation opens doors to a multitude of possibilities, and for St. Maarten, a visionary leap into the green energy race sets the stage for a sustainable future. With the goal of becoming the most sustainable island in the Caribbean, embracing renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and ocean energy, alongside innovative waste management and water conservation practices, will significantly diminish our environmental footprint.
Picture GEBE pioneering as the world's first electricity company that operates solely as a grid facilitator and marketplace, not producing any electricity itself, but instead revolutionizing how energy is bought and sold. Leveraging cutting-edge blockchain technologies such as Energy Web Token enables this transformative energy ecosystem, where we, the people, can empower ourselves by generating and trading renewable energy.
As an advocate of clean energy and the proud owner of a small solar installation, I can attest to the empowering feeling of generating my own power. However, the absence of net metering (being able to offset my electricity bill by providing excess energy back into the grid) leaves me disheartened, seeing surplus energy go to waste.
Energy independence is of paramount importance, as it not only lowers our electricity costs but also opens up new avenues for competition and progress. We must act swiftly to secure our place in this transformative era.
Curaçao has recently entered a partnership with the Netherlands to build an offshore wind farm and continue to invest in solar panels, with the goal of converting surplus energy into hydrogen. This serves as an important reminder that because we’re standing still, we’re actually falling behind. Hydrogen is increasingly sought after as nations and industries strive for cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels. The demand for hydrogen is set to soar in the coming years, and if we seize this opportunity now, we can position St. Maarten at the forefront of the energy revolution.
By embracing clean energy initiatives and investing in our technological prowess, we can embark on a journey towards a sustainable and thriving economy, not solely reliant on tourism. This transition will diversify our economic landscape, creating a solid foundation for long-term growth and prosperity.
Nurturing Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Continuous Learning
To propel St. Maarten into an esteemed innovation hub, we must cultivate a supportive ecosystem that fosters creativity, entrepreneurship, and a thirst for knowledge. It needs to become a part of our culture! By establishing startup incubators, innovation centers, and funding mechanisms, we can attract and retain our skilled and highly educated locals. No longer will they need to live abroad enriching other nations with their knowledge and experience; instead, we would be offering them dynamic fields to develop and grow personally and professionally.
With a focused vision, we can align our educational system to focus on developing the skills needed for the future, such as smart grid maintainers, hydroponics farmers, medical specialists, project managers, and more. This long-term planning and preparation are prerequisites for achieving successful results and putting our own in positions of power, guiding these transformative initiatives to their fruitful conclusions.
Emphasizing continuous learning, we encourage curiosity and provide ample opportunities for personal development in areas of individual interest, nurturing a culture of continuous improvement. Collaborative partnerships between local entrepreneurs, international investors and research institutions will further stimulate the growth of innovative industries, culminating in a vibrant innovation ecosystem teeming with potential.
Collaborative partnerships for regional impact
Achieving our grand vision hinges on collaboration, recognizing that St. Maarten’s success is intertwined with the prosperity of our French counterparts, neighboring islands, and kingdom partners. Engaging proactively with our kingdom partner, the Netherlands, unlocks a treasure trove of expertise and potential access to EU funding for a multitude of sustainable development projects.
Our small island nation can benefit immensely from forging strong alliances that leverage the collective knowledge, resources, and networks of our regional and global stakeholders. Key here is that we take ownership of those partnerships and therein dictate how we effectively want to leverage those resources offered to us, creating win-win situations as opposed to it being dictated to us and leading to less effective results.
By embarking on collaborative regional projects and pooling resources, we can harness the collective potential of the Caribbean, ushering in mutual benefits and shared prosperity for all. With a clear and defined goal, we set all noses pointed in the same direction, fostering collaboration instead of the individualistic pursuits that we see today and yield little to no results.
Embracing the role of digital pioneer in the Caribbean
St. Maarten’s distinct advantage lies in its smaller population, setting the stage for groundbreaking strides in data management and blockchain technology. Taking cues from Estonia's model, where each citizen possesses a secure digital ID, we can adopt a similar system, utilizing blockchain technology to safeguard personal data and empower our residents with comprehensive control over their information.
A visionary approach to data management not only fosters data-driven decision-making but also ushers in a range of benefits that cater to the needs of our society. By harnessing blockchain's potential, we revolutionize administrative processes, enabling faster access to essential services. Imagine a streamlined process for bank account openings, facilitated address changes, effortless tax filings, and swift employer permit submissions.
As we advance toward digital frontiers, we establish a foundation that champions inclusivity, transparency, and efficiency, eradicating illegality and ensuring the collective contribution of all. This transformation heralds an era where St. Maarten's digital journey propels us toward a future where processes are optimized, society is more united, and prosperity is shared by all.
Conclusion
The above examples merely scratch the surface of the many ideas and opportunities that await us with this grand vision. From waste management and recycling to leveraging AI technologies for educational advancements, from specialized hurricane-resistant structures, or reincorporating more greenery into our communities, to exploring innovative land-expansion techniques, the possibilities are only limited by one’s imagination.
St. Maarten finds itself on the verge of a profound transformation, driven by the aspiration to become the Caribbean’s foremost innovation hub. Embracing the insights shared in this article, we have the power to unite and collaborate harmoniously, propelling us towards a brighter and promising future. In part three we’ll delve into how this can be achieved, as lofty dreams are just that if you don’t plan to achieve them.
David Salomon
