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This study is the first output of infoDev's Country Competitiveness program, a multi-country research program which takes a sober look at the role of ICT in improving competitiveness and overcoming the fundamental impediments to innovation, new business creation and sustainable private sector development in developing countries.

In recent years, developing countries and their partners in the international development community have devoted considerable attention to the role that information and communication technologies (ICT) might play in promoting economic growth, combating poverty, and strengthening their participation and competitiveness in the global economy.

In an increasingly open global economy, the ability of developing countries to promote domestic growth, increase the global competitiveness of their firms and economic sectors, and provide new products and services both to their own people and to global markets, depends on a variety of factors, and ICT provide no shortcuts or simple solutions. Nor does the promotion of ICT-enabled businesses suffice to address the fundamental challenges facing developing countries in adapting the structure of their domestic economy to a global market while promoting sustainable, broad-based growth at home, even those that leverage the attractive wage/skill mix of developing countries such as business process outsourcing, call centers and software development.

Developing countries, therefore, need to think about the challenges and opportunities of ICT-enabled growth and poverty reduction within the larger context of reforming the structure, and increasing the flexibility and diversity, of their economy.

This study on “Improving Competitiveness and Increasing Economic Diversification in the Caribbean: The Role of ICT” offers concrete recommendations of how the small island economies of the Caribbean can harness ICT to create new economic opportunities for their people.

This project is proudly supported and funded by the European Commission.