CARICOM, Esri sign MOU

Esri, the global leader in location intelligence, announced that it has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Under the agreement, Esri software will help CARICOM develop a foundational geospatial information platform so they can better understand and solve societal problems related to the region’s economy, sustainability, and quality of life, as well as manage and respond to disasters.

” CARICOM recognises the significant impact of the support by Esri given the need to make operational the Regional Strategy for the Development of Statistics (RSDS) that was endorsed by the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM last July. The overarching theme of the RSDS is to build resilience in CARICOM, which requires the strengthening of statistical systems to enable the production of geographic-based data that can ensure that development reaches all CARICOM peoples. CARICOM is highly appreciative of this support that is being provided and assures Esri of its commitment to achieving results,” said Dr. Philomen Harrison, Director, Regional Statistics, CARICOM Secretariat.

The Caribbean region is particularly susceptible to natural disasters, and many of the Member States of CARICOM were severely impacted by hurricanes in the last two years. Some Member States suffered major socio-economic impacts, and also face challenges related to understanding where services need to be established to aid citizens.

“CARICOM is dedicated to understanding how to best grapple with sustainability and resilience, specifically as it pertains to the economy and disaster response,” said Linda Peters, Esri global business development manager.

“The complex challenges faced by the Caribbean region require deep geographic insight, and we are happy to assist by providing the tools necessary to address these issues.”

CARICOM and Esri share the goal of creating a sustainable and prosperous way of life. The organisations will collaborate to create a regional Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) as well as foster the understanding and progress toward reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the community.

“This agreement presents a novel partnership framewok for ESRI and Spatial to collaborate with CARICOM to develop the region’s human talent to be world-class innovators in one of the foundational sciences of the fourth industrial revolution; geospatial technologies. We are extremely happy to co-create these various future opportunities for the ultimate benefit of our CARICOM citizenry,” said Dr. Silburn St. Aubyn Clarke, Chairman/CEO of Spatial Innoivision Limited, ESRI’s Caribbean distributor.

Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system software, location intelligence, and mapping, offers the most powerful Geospatial Cloud available. Since 1969, Esri has helped customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Today, Esri software is deployed in more than 350,000 organizations including the world’s largest cities, most national governments, 75 percent of Fortune 500 companies, and more than 7,000 colleges and universities. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial information technology, Esri engineers the most advanced solutions for digital transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics. Visit us at esri.com.

To learn more about Esri’s capabilities and commitment to supporting the global community in the quest for sustainability through better mapping and spatial information, visit go.esri.com/officialstatisticsprogram.