The Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) and CLICO Credit Union (CCU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Tuesday that will enable CCU members to benefit from CARIRI’s advanced research facilities and specialised training programmes.
CARIRI Chief Executive Officer Hans-Erich Schulz noted that while the institute’s services are open to the public, this partnership will streamline access for CCU members.
“We, with our technical people and our business people in our business hatchery and in our entrepreneurial development workshops, we will hopefully be able to get them in closer to where the action is, and hopefully we can help them commercialise and expand their business development. So CARIRI’s services are offered to the whole country and the Caribbean, but with this MOU we are hoping that the CLICO Credit Union members will be sensitised to get closer to where the action is, and hopefully they would benefit fully from what CARIRI has been doing for 55 years.”
Mr. Schulz said the agreement is significant, as it focuses on credit union members, with CLICO being one of the largest.
“Particularly SMEs and industry, we have been supporting that effort in terms of entrepreneurial development, innovation, testing services, training and workshops.”
Chief Executive Officer of CLICO Credit Union, Holland Bronte Tinkew, said the collaboration aims to combine the strengths of both organisations for the benefit of CCU’s members, which in turn will positively impact Trinidad and Tobago.
“CARIRI is all about innovation and entrepreneurship, and we at CLICO Credit Union try to do the same by encouraging our members to be entrepreneurs themselves. So we do have a business hub that our members can now register and their businesses in order to promote their businesses online.”
Mr. Bronte Tinkew noted that while the service is open to all members, there will be a special focus on youth, highlighted by their annual Youth Entrepreneurship Conference, which aims to secure Trinidad and Tobago’s future by encouraging youth involvement in business.