Youth Tech in Barbados: A 15-year-old at WorldSkills Barbados Juniors built a mobile app concept that turns social media time into learning by requiring quiz questions (math, English, science, history) before users access selected platforms. Workforce & Skills Investment: Minister Sandra Husbands highlighted continued government investment in young Barbadians through the WorldSkills Junior Camp at SJPI, stressing practical, global-competitive skills. Tourism Research for Policy: The Caribbean Tourism Organization announced an inaugural Caribbean Tourism Research Forum at SOTIC 2026 (Oct 6, Guyana) to connect researchers with tourism policymakers and industry for smarter, sustainable decisions. Digital Agriculture Picks: IICA and a jury selected 15 AgTech startups for Digital Agriculture Week in Costa Rica (Sept 7–10), including Barbados’ Red Diamond Compost. Food System Innovation: A regional push explores black soldier fly larvae to convert food and farm waste into protein-rich animal feed, aiming to cut reliance on imported inputs. Border Tech & Data Protection: Barbados moved forward with the Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record Bill to strengthen pre-arrival screening for air/sea travel while protecting personal data. Defence Modernisation: The Barbados Defence Force announced a major transformation to tackle modern risks like cyber threats and maritime trafficking, including new tech for the Cadet Corps. Earthquake Update (Region): Trinidad and Tobago was hit by a 5.1 quake with no immediate damage reports.