June 17, 2025
On 6 June, during the first High-Level Policy Dialogue with the Caribbean under the EU-LAC Digital Alliance, the European Union launched Digital Connectors Jamaica, a new initiative to foster digital collaboration between Jamaican and European companies. The EU also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Caribbean ahead of the hurricane season through advanced weather forecasting tools and emergency response mechanisms.
“This initiative reflects how Global Gateway delivers real opportunities for people. By connecting Jamaican startups with European and Latin American companies, we support innovation, but also create quality jobs and boost local entrepreneurship”, said Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela. “Programmes like the Digital Accelerator turn digital cooperation into economic growth, for Jamaica, the wider Caribbean and Europe alike.”
Driving Innovation and Job Creation through Digital Connectors Jamaica
The Digital Connectors Jamaica programme, launched under the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator, promotes digital joint ventures between Jamaican startups and European private sector. Through a partnership with the Development Bank of Jamaica and Caribbean Export, Jamaican startups will have access to up to USD 50,000 in grant funding to develop and scale innovative digital solutions. These funds will complement the EU’s contribution of EUR 14 million, unlocking new opportunities for growth and international market access.
EU-Caribbean partnership on weather forecasting and climate change adaptation
The EU reaffirmed its commitment to enhance regional preparedness for extreme weather events. Ahead of the 2025 hurricane season, the EU is standing ready with satellite-based forecasting data and modelling as well as comprehensive support to early warning systems. This builds on existing cooperation with the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) and the Caribbean Emergency Disaster Management Agency (CEDMA) as well as with the Dominican Republic and Cuba. Additionally, to short-term measures, support to long-term climate adaptation capabilities will be implemented. European meteorological institutes with important presence in the region as well as the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) will be involved.
For example, ECMWF and CIMH have committed to a mutual exchange of experts and engagement with forecasting partners to bolster the capacity of CIMH to use European data and products in support of numerical weather prediction modelling and specifically for tropical cyclone tracking.
Those efforts add to the implementation of the MoU on Disaster Preparedness and Disaster Risk Management signed in Barbados on 15 May 2024 between the European Union and the Latin America and the Caribbean region.
This announcement follows a recent call between the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley -chair of CARICOM-, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, where they discussed opportunities for closer collaboration between the Caribbean and the EU, notably through Copernicus Emergency Management Service.