For decades, exports in the Caribbean meant sugar, bauxite, or tourism. But as countries recognise the need for greater economic diversification and resilience, more substantial inroads must be made in the technology exports sector, which can also bolster countries’ economic development. We revisit a conversation we had in 2024 with Vashti Maharaj, the Adviser, Digital Trade Policy, of the Commonwealth Secretariat, in which we discussed, among other things;: defining the concept of technology as an export; factors hindering the growth of the technology export sector in the region; important trade agreements that can benefit Caribbean technology exporters; and advice she would give to a Caribbean tech entrepreneur looking to expand internationally.

 

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music.

In an era where digital proximity matters more than geographic distance, technology as an export has emerged as a critical strategic thrust for developing countries to climb the global value chain. Unlike traditional commodity exports—which are often subject to volatile price swings and climate risks—technology exports thrive on human capital, making them a sustainable engine for long-term economic resilience.

In the Caribbean region, the push toward technology exports is no longer a luxury: it is a necessity for survival in a post-pandemic world, which emphasised the need for greater diversification of our economies, given the broad range of vulnerabilities we face and the ever-evolving economic and trade imperatives.  However, for developing countries, transitioning from being consumers of technology to producers and exporters of technology is a transformative leap, as it shifts the economic focus from raw resource extraction and low-level skills work to the high-margin knowledge economy.

This week’s podcast episode revisits a conversation we had in 2024 on technology as an export in the Caribbean region. Although many of our countries have expressed a desire to achieve developed nation status by 2030 or soon thereafter, little has changed; so, we ought to question whether that goal will be achieved if technology exports have not (yet) become a significantly larger contributor to our economies. Having said this, the benefits are clear, and the region is awash with opportunities and innovation, as this conversation highlights. The key is ensuring that there is the will and the stamina to do so.

Several studies have highlighted the relationship between exports and economic growth, and that producing more complex goods can result in higher value-added exports.

 

Introducing our guest

Vashti Maharaj

Vashti Maharaj currently serves as an Adviser, Digital Trade Policy in the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda Section in the Trade, Oceans and Natural Resources Directorate of the Commonwealth Secretariat, where she primarily focuses on advancing the Commonwealth’s work on digital trade and works as part of a multidisciplinary team to deliver the goals of the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda for Trade and Investment.

For the past decade, she has worked extensively on national and regional projects in the primary areas of e-governance, electronic commerce, telecommunications, data protection, intellectual property and cyber security from a policy and regulatory perspective. She has been involved in projects led by the International Telecommunications Union, the Caribbean Telecommunications Union, the World Bank as well as Commonwealth Connects and is also a member of the University of Oxford, Cyber Security Capacity Building Centre’s Working Group on Cybersecurity, Policy, Legal and Regulatory Environment, Vice-Chair of the Legal Reform Advisory Board of the International Chamber of Commerce as well as Vice-Chair of the Pacific E-commerce Development Partners Sub-Committee.

 

Insights into our conversation

Technology as an export represents a new frontier for the Caribbean region and can be defined as the sale or transfer of technological knowledge, products, or services to another country. It thus means that almost any product or service that leverages technology for sale outside of one’s home country could be defined as a technology export. However, to develop this sector, our countries must be prepared to invest in human capital rather than just physical infrastructure by creating the enabling environment for advanced technologies to be harnessed, innovation to be celebrated, and digital businesses to thrive.

It is also critical for us to identify the technology export segments in which we can thrive. For example, it is unlikely that any Caribbean region can compete with existing, cheaper and well-established locations operating in the technology manufacturing space. However, manufacturing is just a sliver of that market. We need to find our niche, which we have not fully explored.

Below are key questions that drove our conversation with Vashti.

  1. How would you define the concept of technology as an export, and how have these exports evolved over the last decade?
  2. Are there any statistics on Caribbean technology exports?
  3. Regarding the call centre and BPO industry, although there is technology sophistication in that environment, it does not appear to reflect on society as a whole. What do you think?
  4. Are there trends of which we should be aware that would allow us to better harness our potential?
  5. What are the key factors hindering the growth of the technology export sector in the Caribbean?
  6. What are key trade agreements and initiatives that can benefit Caribbean technology exporters?
  7. What advice would you give to a tech entrepreneur in the Caribbean looking to expand internationally?

 

We would love to hear your thoughts!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

 

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful

 

 

Images credit:  Commonwealth Secretariat; Flowo (Freepik);  zaramalik58717 (Freepik);  Flowo (Freepik)

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez