UWI initiative links science and entrepreneurship

A new initiative at The University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus is aiming to bridge the gap between science and entrepreneurship, giving students the practical skills needed to turn innovative ideas into viable businesses.

SciMix: From Idea to Innovation, a networking event held on Saturday on the campus brought together industry professionals and students under the theme “Exploring the Intersections within Science in Barbados and the Ways Forward for Further National Development”.

The event marked the culmination of FSAT2002: Science Meets Business, a pilot course created through a collaboration between the Faculty of Science and Technology and Future BARBADOS. The programme involved a multidisciplinary group of 15 science students working together to develop business-minded approaches to science and innovation.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology Dr Jeanese Badenock said the course was designed to align science students more closely with entrepreneurship.

“This particular course was developed in an attempt to bring our science students into closer alignment with being entrepreneurs,” she said, noting that Future BARBADOS partnered throughout the 12-week programme to deliver workshops and mentorship opportunities.

Badenock explained that students were exposed to key aspects of business development, including finance, venture capital, pitching ideas and preparing business plans. Members of the Caribbean diaspora also participated virtually, sharing expertise on how to develop science-based products and services and bring them to market.

She said students were required to work in teams “as an analogy to a typical business”, taking responsibility for areas such as finance, marketing and sponsorship while organising Saturday’s event as their final graded project.

Beyond entrepreneurship, Badenock said the course focused heavily on developing transferable soft skills.

“What they got out of the course was really honing in on those soft skills in terms of communication,” she said. “It was working as part of a team, understanding the different dynamics that are necessary in order to execute successfully an event.”

She added that students gained experience in areas ranging from sponsorship negotiations to guest relations and event coordination, skills she believes will help them navigate future professional environments, whether in science or other fields.