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Ah Jersey, an idyllic island known for its finance sector, rich history, stunning coast, dairy cows, and now… drones?
World-first drone trials were last month successfully completed off Jersey’s coast – several months ahead of America’s very own space agency, NASA.
The £3.7m trial was a huge coup – not only did it prove that concepts once confined to the realms of sci-fi could become a reality very soon (Special report, P4), but for the island as a whole too.
It begs the question, what if our R&D efforts didn’t stop there? A string to our bow alongside finance, could the island also become a high-tech haven?
Imagine… An island brimming with lab coats, tech entrepreneurs clutching prototypes, DNA innovators sinking two pints of Liberation over a chat about CRISPR… Empty spaces transformed into brain fuelling stations, be it coffee, matcha, sourdough or whatever the tech bros’ latest foodie fad – drone delivery optional. Local schools bolstered with top academics, and ‘Bean drain’ fears a distant memory as bright minds boast to others, “Oh, you’re working in Silicon Valley? That’s cute. I’m innovating in a place with the world’s greatest milk.”
‘Silicon Jersey’ hyperbole aside, the opportunities for economic development and inward investment are clear and compelling.
But perhaps one of the most attractive benefits lies in the ability to create connections that could benefit the young talent we have right here. We don’t have a university for young people to train in specialist subject areas (but perhaps the question should be explored, as Chamber argued in the last edition of Connect), so could mentorship opportunities through R&D projects or even creating a modest bricks-and-mortar ‘hub’ be a step in the right direction towards training and retaining our top minds?
The value of mentorship is not to be understated – as talented landscape designer Wills Baker attests. He set up his own business aged just 21, credits the valuable skills he learnt on an apprenticeship with the head gardener at Trinity Manor after leaving school (No ordinary day job, P16).
Mentorship and building up the ‘Next Gen’ is also an area of focus for the IoD. But, as new Chair Alex Ruddy explains (Unplugged, P24), we need to make sure the knowledge exchange flows both ways. If we, as an island, want to remain at the cutting-edge, it’s crucial we engage tomorrow’s innovators and leaders now.
