Curaçaoan “Doughnut Economy” expert Juan-Carlos Goilo will present as Keynote during the St Maarten Innovations, Initiatives & Industries Link-Up Event (SMILE) to be held on St. Maarten March 25th – 26th.
Doughnut Economics is a new economic model developed by Oxford University Economist Kate Raworth, which offers a visual framework for sustainable development. The social foundation of an economy, the outer for the ecological boundaries and in between is what she calls the “sweet spot:” an economy that provides for the basic needs of everyone, without damaging the earth beyond its ecological limits. Goilo has become a specialist in doughnut economics and is active in Curaçao as the representative of the Chief Technology Office of the Municipality of Amsterdam.
As a PhD candidate Goilo researches and forges alliances to bring his island of birth Curacao within this “sweet spot.” According to Goilo, working with the Doughnut model will provide a great opportunity to make St Maarten prosper sustainably, balancing human and ecological resources.
The St. Maarten Innovations, Initiatives & Industries Link-Up Event (SMILE) was founded in the wake of hurricane Irma to inspire the Northeastern Caribbean business community with best practices in innovation and sustainability, local and international. The event is organized by the St Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA) and Aruban innovation foundation 360* of Innovation. This year’s edition is made possible by traditional supporters the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the University of St. Martin as well as Atlas Risk Solutions, the Department of Culture of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Grant Thornton and Dynaf.
President of University of St. Martin Antonio Carmona Baez has worked on various occasions with the Curaçaoan scholar, but it will be the first time he visits St Maarten in such a collaborative setting. “University of St Martin is elated to host Goilo, one of the great PhD talents of the region, and looks forward to his keynote speech at SMILE”.
SMILE will be held on Friday March 25 and Saturday March 26, 2022, at the University of St. Martin. Those interested can contact the SMILE project office at office@shta.com or call +1-721-5420108. More information can be found at www.smilesintmaarten.com. For this edition, a close eye is kept on the developments pertaining to the pandemic to guarantee safety. If the status at the time requires reduced crowd size, tickets will be allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis.
