The Institute of Directors Guernsey’s May breakfast webinar welcomed Justin Bellinger, Chair of the new Innovate Guernsey Board, who shared his views on the role of innovation in fostering long-term economic resilience.
The board has been set up by the Committee for Economic Development to develop a foundation for innovation, with the aim to support economic progress across all sectors of the economy.
Mr Bellinger (pictured) explained that its role is not to assess new ideas but to foster an environment that supports innovation and to connect people and organisations — across government, industry and the wider business community.
He emphasised the importance of listening to entrepreneurs and industry groups, backing what’s already working and helping to remove obstacles where they exist.
The event built on themes from the IoD’s Spring Seminar, including reinvention, development and creating the conditions for change. Mr Bellinger spoke about Guernsey’s ability to adapt in times of crisis, but said the island now needs to put stronger foundations in place before the next disruption arrives.
He suggested positioning Guernsey as a ‘testbed jurisdiction’ — offering a flexible environment for businesses to trial and scale new ideas. He called for faster access to government data, better use of existing legislation, and a more open attitude towards risk and failure.
Skills and education were also discussed. Mr Bellinger said a more collaborative approach is needed between training providers, and that the traditional linear education model should be reconsidered. He highlighted the importance of supporting workplace learning and offering meaningful roles in future-facing sectors to help retain talent.
The board’s initial focus will be on FinTech, RegTech, MedTech and Gen AI. Specialist working groups will be formed with input from local and international experts. But Mr Bellinger made clear that innovation isn’t limited to digital ideas; the board will also turn its attention to energy, waste and housing amongst others.
Glen Tonks, Chair of IoD Guernsey, said: “It was great to hear Justin speak openly about the board’s purpose and how it plans to work with our members and others. There’s clear potential here, and this session showed there’s also real appetite to engage and collaborate.
“As Justin said, we’re not going to solve this alone, but Guernsey has the right scale, people and energy to do something different, and do it well. The IoD looks forward to supporting the board’s work as it engages with the business community and develops its vision for a more innovative Guernsey.”
