en.Wedoany.com Reported - The University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) has announced the development of EcoVista, a 283-acre smart city in Trelawny, Jamaica, which will become the Caribbean's first university smart city. Centered around a technology-driven university campus capable of accommodating over 5,000 students, the project integrates higher education, an innovation district, renewable energy infrastructure, research facilities, residential development, and hotel assets into a comprehensive development.
Dr. Winston Adams, Founder and Group Executive Chairman of UCC, stated that international investors have consistently underestimated the educational and digital opportunities in the region. Since founding the School of Management Sciences in 1992, he has been building the Caribbean's higher education infrastructure, at a time when less than 4% of Jamaica's eligible age population had access to higher education. UCC is now the largest independent private accredited university in Jamaica and the Caribbean. Against a backdrop of higher education enrollment rates falling short of national targets, a widening digital skills gap, and AI reshaping industry landscapes, UCC is developing EcoVista on a 1,200-meter waterfront site in Trelawny, a 40-minute drive from Montego Bay International Airport. Concurrently, UCC has launched a national online university platform and established Jamaica's first formal institutional AI task force. The project is currently open to international university and investment partners, requiring an immediate $15 million to complete land acquisition.
Under Jamaica's Vision 2030 development plan, the country aims to increase higher education enrollment to between 50% and 70% of the eligible age population by 2030, with current enrollment at 29% and trending downward. Approximately 70% of the working population holds no recognized qualifications. The World Economic Forum's 2025 Future of Jobs Report found that 63% of employers globally cite skills gaps as a major barrier to growth, and that 59 out of every 100 workers will need reskilling by 2030. Jamaica's business process outsourcing industry, one of the island's largest employers, is being reshaped by AI automation. The country has a national AI task force, completed a UNESCO readiness assessment in 2025, and has UN projects using AI tools to support over 450,000 students. The global online education market, valued at approximately $400 billion, is designed for different types of learners across various economies, yet Caribbean workers have largely been excluded from its benefits.
There are approximately 60 university cities and knowledge districts globally, with no prior presence in the Caribbean. EcoVista is located on a 283-acre waterfront plot in Trelawny, featuring a technology-driven university campus for over 5,000 students and four innovation zones: a FinTech Digital Sandbox, a HealthTech Bio District, an Innovation Launchpad, and a Resort & Wellness Zone (including 710 hotel rooms and 150 overwater villas across three eco-resorts). A renewable energy grid, expected to generate 40 to 60 megawatts, will power the entire site. Construction will be phased through 2038. The project won the Smart Infrastructure Award at the 2025 AIM Future Cities Summit in Dubai, with the jury noting that its smart city protocol could serve as a replicable model for the wider region, with Barbados and the Cayman Islands already identified as potential future deployment sites. EcoVista aims to attract up to six international universities from North America and Europe to operate alongside UCC.
For investors, the land acquisition price is 40% below the 2024 appraised value of $52.8 million, creating $21 million in inherent equity. An immediate $15 million is needed to complete the acquisition. The project forecasts total revenue of $2.04 billion, total profit of $396 million, and development costs of $513 million, with financial data prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers. UCC has no institutional debt and net assets exceeding $20 million. Revenue models include infrastructure and connectivity fees, equity in innovation zone startups, long-term lease income, and surplus energy sales. EcoVista has been granted Special Economic Zone status: a corporate income tax rate of 12.5%, 100% duty exemption on imported development materials, and a 50% reduction in stamp duty.
Professor John McIntyre, President of UCC, stated that AI literacy should permeate all disciplines, not just computer science departments. The framework he proposed boils down to three principles: effectively using the right tools while understanding their limitations; ensuring human final decision-making for appropriate choices; and covering data privacy and ethical implications under safety. UCC's AI task force, operational since 2025, has conducted proof-of-concept pilots in marketing, recruitment, admissions, and student support, and is implementing an AI-driven enterprise resource planning system.
The National Open University of Jamaica (NOUJ) is UCC's online education platform targeting working adults unable to attend school, community learners, overseas Jamaicans, and younger learners. The institution was launched in partnership with the Commonwealth of Learning and the Amber Group. UCC's existing online division, UCC Global, has graduated over 70,000 students, enrolls more than 7,000 students annually, and offers 75 micro-credentials and 40 postgraduate programs. NOUJ expands its reach through a stackable micro-credential mechanism, allowing learners to first earn short-term certificates and then progressively accumulate credits toward diplomas and degrees.
This article is compiled by Wedoany. All AI citations must indicate the source as "Wedoany". If there is any infringement or other issues, please notify us promptly, and we will modify or delete it accordingly. Email: news@wedoany.com
