Innovation is the application of better solutions that meet new requirements and existing market needs. The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council recognizing the importance innovation plays to a country’s growth and development salutes the work of a young inventor and innovator nestled in a fishing village in St. Lucia.
The Community of Laborie has produced a gem of an innovator and inventor whose inventions go far beyond the sores of this quaint and proud community. But who exactly is this inspiring young inventor?
“My name is Karlis Noel. I am a fisherman by profession. Well I started fishing early in my life, branched out into systems engineering, a lot of electrical work, electronics. I tried a lot of fields but they did not really drive me so I dropped out so I stuck with systems engineering, electrical and electronics.”
Karlis recalled being drawn to this field from a very early age. His father was a power station operator and on weekends and off days he remembers enjoying playing with old transformers, his father’s tool and reading his father’s physics books. We asked him about his most treasured inventions to date.
“The first project that really impacted me was the project that went to Nauru. I did the one in Laborie but actually going out of St. Lucia not even regional, going international it meant a lot to me that I could actually do something which can help a nation.”
To turn his love for invention into a business Karlis has partnered with PR and Brand Manger Laura Jn Pierre also from Laborie to form the company called Invictus Inc. Invictus creates solutions for alternative energy and innovation. Jn Pierre serves as the operations manager for Invictus.
“What we try to do at Invictus is to create local solutions for global challenges. So off course the world would be our market place. As a marketer myself by profession, a trained marketer, a PR person, I try as much as possible to get Karlis out there in the public domain. Get him interviewed by various media houses, get his name out there, get his product out there and through that we get people who are interested and they take to the bait and they call us.”
Jn Piere and Noel have also recognized the important role of innovation to the country’s level of competitiveness and productivity.
“Innovation is a driving force behind society. If it wasn’t for innovation we would still be riding horses, probably still have candles in our homes, probably more fatalities so it’s really important for survival of humanity.” Kalis noted
Jn Pierre added, “Any government, any people, any nation who down plays innovation they’re wasting their time and they’re on a slippery slope to nowhere because at the end of the day this is what it’s about. It’s about innovating or bettering what already exists and changing it to meet new challenges and to meet the needs.”
Kalis’ encourages budding inventors and innovators to have a strong belief in themselves.
“One thing that we really fall short of is that we think everything is easy. Easy is never an option. If it is difficult, trust me it must be worth it. Keep pushing and just believe in yourself.”
The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council salutes the work of this young innovator and his company Invictus Inc. from the community of Laborie.