WHEN THE rubber hits the road, it's already too late for ruminations of what could have been. Jamaica's name is etched in track and field history following the brilliant performances of our athletes at major international track events. As a country united, we recently witnessed that when it really counts - all stops are pulled out, differences put aside, professionalism reigns and intense focus is placed on the goal (winning).

Tremendous lessons can be learned from our recent performances in Berlin. So much could have gone wrong, but these risks were minimised with adequate preparation and relentless craving for the gold. And so it should be with the country as we strategise and embark on plans to extricate ourselves from this mire of debt and gloom.

International lessons

Although the glitter and glamour of President Obama is waning, certain consistent messages still resound worldwide. For example, his pre-election (and still maintained) pledge to "restore science to its rightful place" was well received as being grounded in the fact that science and research are key to health care, the environment, agriculture - all elements which were ailing and eroding the economy of the most powerful nation in the world. In another forum, at the recent Conference of Science Journalists in Britain, the importance of government policies being based on sound science was the main topic for discussion.

Further afield in developing countries, programmes embodying science, technology and innovation have been touted as providing the necessary visa out of poverty. And how so? The Millennium Development Report of 2007, having tracked the progress of countries, noted that science, technology and innovation were most important contributors to the progress made in practically all the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). As the main aim of the MDGs is the eradication of poverty, the implications of using the tools provided by information and communication technologies, biotechnology and nanotechnology, to name a few, are quite real for technocrats worldwide.

Closer home, in Jamaica, we appear to have an on-again-off-again relationship with science and technology. As we struggle to find answers to the current dilemma facing the country, it is imperative that we dig our heels in - not throw out the science, but utilise technologies at our disposal to pry ourselves out of this quagmire. Although the country, unfortunately, does not have a formal national system of innovation, rudiments of such a system exist, and in the shrewd rationalisation and coordination of such elements reside some solutions. So, having identified some key development areas - education, energy, environment, food security and health, and the resident competencies, capacities and orientation of state agencies presumably determined, this information must be used to guide their ensuing roles. For the country to rebound, quick wins are needed. Science and technology alone will not effect these quick wins; they must be coupled with innovation.

The world is fascinated by Jamaica - our ability to perform and our resilience apparently know no bounds. But something is still missing to effect sustainability. Application of the powerful tools: science, technology and innovation in critical areas that can link the sound science resident in academia to the market via industry holds the answer. The modus operandi of the Scientific Research Council (SRC) epitomises this. Ongoing research on local plants at the major universities as well as the SRC has through the latter's efforts already been translated in economic activity - creating jobs and stimulating renewed hope among the micro and small business community.

This has been achieved through the product development and standardisation, as well as the increasing use of the pilot plant facilities to produce small commercial batches for the market. The model is one that has to be replicated several fold in short order. Time is not on our side and, therefore, links along the supply chain must be strengthened, gaps identified and addressed and gains maintained. Clear definition and understanding of roles, keen attention to market trends and demands, recognising and translating opportunities in short order, as well as cementing a harmonised approach to agreed priorities are some areas that we, however, all need to work on - fast!

Audia Barnett is executive director of the Scientific Research Council.