Dissatisfied with the lack of interest being shown to science and technology by some Barbadians, Director of the National Council for Science and Technology (NCST), Lennox Chandler, is making a renewed call for the establishment of an interactive science and technology centre, to boost interest in the discipline.
He made this appeal during a recent interview with the Barbados Government Information Service.
Mr. Chandler stressed: "We need to have some place where people can go and interact with science freely.?? It is my wish that it would come to a reality and I am prepared now to go out there and ask for assistance in this regard."
??He disclosed that Trinidad and Tobago was willing to loan the NCST some of their exhibits when the centre was fully operational; while other entities had pledged to assist, wherever possible.??????????????
Emphasising that some people were still reluctant to "buy-into" the concept of science in national development, he added: "There are still too many Barbadians who do not recognise the role that science and technology plays in business development.?? There are pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries worldwide… all of these have their origins in science.
"Over 80 per cent of innovations have their genesis in science but unfortunately, some of us do not want to make that connection," Mr. Chandler lamented.
The NCST Director also revealed plans to step-up its community innovation thrust. "We want people to understand what innovation is and this is one of the areas which we will be focusing on this year," he revealed.