DURING the launch of the 2025 Innovation Challenge under the Office of the Prime Minister’s (OPM) Industry and Innovation Unit, Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips underscored developments in digital innovation.

The Prime Minister said the presence of the youths participating in the competition reaffirms government’s steadfast commitment to building a knowledge-based digital economy that is not only inclusive, but adaptive and future-ready.

He pointed out that since assuming office in 2020, the government has prioritised investments in human capital. This is particular in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training, and digital infrastructure.

Reflecting on the milestones achieved over the last five years, PM Phillips indicated that through the ICT Access and Resources Programme for Hinterland and Remote Communities they bridged connectivity and digital services to some of the most underserved populations in the hinterland.

“We’ve constructed ICT hubs to serve those communities. We’ve invested in technology to connect them to the world, and not only a case of connecting them to the coastland of Guyana, but to the world,” PM Phillips said.

Additionally, there is the roll out of the Guyana National Broadband Strategy, which accelerated the access to faster, reliable internet access across schools, health centres, and public offices nationwide.

From 2020 to now, he noted that they have expanded access to ICT training in each region, further equipping citizens, from students to private citizens and public servants, with essential digital skills.

“These programmes have created new pathways for employment, entrepreneurship, and academic growth, especially in underserved communities. Smart classrooms, transforming education, were established,” the PM remarked.

He continued, “More than 40 such smart classrooms have been installed in schools, such as Queen’s College, President’s College, and Kuru Kuru Primary. These modern learning environments, featuring interactive whiteboards and live teaching tools, have significantly boosted student engagement, attendance, and STEM readiness nationwide.”

He posited that the efforts showcase a deliberate strategy to embed innovation into every aspect of our society.
According to Prime Minister Phillips, each of these efforts has formed part of a broad mission to ensure that every young person, regardless of where they come from, has a tool, opportunity, and support to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

The Innovation Challenge 2025, he said, is a vivid reflection of this mission, bringing together the elements that make the most of education, entrepreneurship, equity, and technology.
With AI at the centre of the challenge, innovators were tasked with the problem statement: “Building a Smarter, Safer Guyana through Digital HSSE”.

The Prime Minister left this year’s innovators with this, “This event may last only three days, but the ideas generated here can outlast all of us. Take every opportunity. Ask questions. Collaborate. Push boundaries. And when the lights dim and the competition ends, don’t let the innovation stop there,” he said.

Since stepping into office, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government has remained committed to empowering the lives of youths across Guyana.

Whether it be through the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s Women’s Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN), the Ministry of Health’s training programmes in several communities, the Board of Industrial Training’s many training programmes, or the implementation of an online scholarship that has benefitted thousands of Guyanese, government ensures that the people of Guyana are financially independent through employment, and business innovation, thus improving their quality of life.