The Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Science and Technology (MIST), in partnership with Amini, a Barbados-based deep tech company founded by Kate Kallot, 2025 TIME100 Impact honoree, on Monday announced the launch of a 12-week Deep Tech Fellowship Programme designed to strengthen Barbados’ national capacity in artificial intelligence, data systems, and digital governance.
The fully funded programme will bring together 10 high-potential local technology fellows to work directly on real challenges faced by government ministries and public institutions.
Over 12 weeks, fellows will be designing, building, and deploying AI-powered solutions that support public service delivery, data interoperability, and evidence-based policymaking.
The fellowship represents a strategic expansion of the ongoing collaboration between MIST and Amini. By investing in local talent and embedding advanced technical skills within public systems, the programme supports Barbados’ broader digital transformation and innovation agenda.
Minister of Innovation, Industry, Science and Technology, Senator Jonathan Reid, commented: “This fellowship represents a significant step in the Government of Barbados’ strategy to develop teams of Barbadians with highly advanced and deep technological skills. We absolutely have to do this if we are to fast track our island’s digital development and…win in the new global economy – we have to do this. We have found some of Barbados’ most talented young tech professionals and this intensive fellowship will turbocharge their skills in artificial intelligence, data science, software development and more.”
He further noted: “We are going far beyond the academic and theoretical – we are embedding these talented fellows directly within public institutions and pairing them with world-class mentorship and global expertise. They will have real world impact, strengthening Barbados’ capacity to develop and deliver services that meet global standards in a more responsive and evidence-driven way. I’m incredibly excited about this and believe it is the start of much more good to come.”
Fellows will gain hands-on experience across areas including data engineering, machine learning, solutions engineering, and project delivery, while working with modern development practices and ethical AI frameworks.
The MIST × Amini Deep Tech Graduate Fellowship will run from January to April 2026, with outcomes expected to directly support ongoing digital transformation initiatives across government.
Founder and CEO of Amini, Kate Kallot, stated: “As a Barbadian company, we see this fellowship as moving from intention to real capability. Real digital transformation happens when our country invests not just in technology, but in building the technical depth to design, govern, and operate AI systems locally. By working directly with government institutions, these fellows will help build systems that are locally owned, context-aware, and built to last.”
