First ever Virtual Island Summit

James Ellsmoor, INS Island Studies graduate, and UHI Postgraduate Student of the Year 2018, began the summit by acknowledging that the event was inspired by his experience studying the INS Island Studies programme, with its use of VC.

The first ever Virtual Island Summit was held last month. This entirely online event was the brainchild of INS Island Studies graduate, and UHI Postgraduate Student of the Year 2018, James Ellsmoor, founder of the consultancy firm Island Innovation. There were invited island speakers from places as diverse as Prince Edward Island, Iceland and the Aland Islands. It allowed islands to share their common experiences through a digital platform, allowing free access to world-class experts and many invited island speakers.  There were a diverse range of viewpoints with speakers and attendees from 100+ island communities including the Arctic, Caribbean, Europe, Indian Ocean, Pacific Islands, and South America.

Sessions were interactive and included a range of highly relevant island themes such as Island Networks for Resilience, Green Technopreneurship, Financing a Blue-Green Economy and Digital Opportunities for Ambitious Islands. Such a wide range of themes involved a huge range of expert speakers including Giselle McWilliam Minister of Economic Development Curacao and Jeppe Jensen Project Coordinator for Clean Energy for the European Union Islands.

James Ellsmoor began the summit by acknowledging that the event was inspired by his experience studying the INS Island Studies programme, with its use of VC.