HALF a million pounds in taxpayers’ money is being invested in developing tech solutions to improve customer experiences across Jersey’s retail, tourism and hospitality sectors.
Tony Moretta, the chief executive of Digital Jersey, said the £500,000 behind the CXTech Programme could fund projects such as creating a single booking platform for visitors or developing ways to collect data about tourist habits.
The programme is the latest initiative from Impact Jersey – a multi-million-pound scheme founded in 2023 to accelerate and strengthen how Jersey uses technology to support the Island’s future economy.
Local and global innovators can now apply for funds to develop and deploy technology-driven solutions aimed at enhancing customer experiences, productivity and efficiency across Jersey’s retail, tourism, hospitality and logistics sectors.
It is the first Impact Jersey initiative where the funding will be granted on a 50/50-match funding basis, making the total potential impact of the programme £1 million.
Mr Moretta said this meant innovators had to secure from private or other investors the amount requested from government before submitting an application.
He added that the maximum and minimum values for applications had also been removed and innovators were able to apply for the full £500,000.
He said: “CXTech is designed to make a positive impact on the Island’s visitor and retail sectors, using technology to significantly transform customer experiences and combatting challenges we’re experiencing in Jersey, from increased logistics and freight costs to the fragmented digital interactions encountered when trying to access information.”
One of the initiatives that could be developed include building a real-time data platform to collate information about visitor trends and how people use the Jersey.com site.
Another, Mr Moretta added, could be a single booking platform for tourists.
He said: “People have said before that it’s a fragmented digital experience when visitors get to Jersey. There’s not one place they can go to online to book things together.”
