Praising businesses for their ‘innovative and resilient’ response to the Covid pandemic, Economic Development Minister Lyndon Farnham said that despite the challenges, the experience had created a ‘huge learning opportunity and a catalyst for many businesses to advance’.
‘We now have a far greater understanding of how our economy works and, having all embraced technology during the pandemic, we are probably now two or three years ahead of where we would have been had we let the technology cycle run its normal course. That strengthens the drive for economic recovery,’ he said. ‘We must not forget that small-to-medium-sized businesses are the lifeblood of our economy, and many of those operations have completely reinvented their offer over the past few months. This shows that innovation is alive and well in Jersey and I predict that we will see many more businesses start up in the years ahead.’
The Senator’s views were echoed by FeelUnique founder Aaron Chatterley, who described 2020 as a year of ‘forced innovation’ for many businesses.
‘While it may sound extreme, in many cases it has been a case of adapt or die,’ he said, adding that the Island’s socioeconomic and demographic nature fostered a strong culture of innovation. Jersey has the money, the environment and the skills to drive innovation, and I am confident that we are in a buoyant position as we navigate our way through and beyond Covid,’ he added.
The full interviews with Senator Farnham and Mr Chatterley form part of ‘A Catalyst For Change’, a supplement on page 23 of Wedneday’s [6 January] JEP.
