This is one of the economic ambitions highlighted by Minister of Economic Affairs, Entrepreneurship and Technological Innovation (EZOTI) Andrew Baasaron during the first Suriname AI Summit.

According to the minister, Suriname must avoid becoming merely a consumer of foreign technology. The country's ambition should also be to develop its own applications, digital products and solutions. This, he believes, would enable Suriname to establish a stronger position in a global economy in which artificial intelligence is having an increasingly significant impact on production, services and entrepreneurship.

Baasaron pointed out that small and medium-sized enterprises play an important role in Suriname's economy. An estimated 80 to 90 percent of businesses fall into this category. These enterprises are also believed to account for approximately 50 to 70 percent of employment. For this reason, he argued, they must receive particular attention during the digital transformation.

According to the minister, the opportunities are tangible. Entrepreneurs can use AI to improve business processes, manage inventories more effectively, analyze market developments and serve customers more efficiently. Administrative workloads can also be reduced. This would enable businesses with limited resources to continue strengthening their competitiveness.

However, access to technology alone is not enough. Entrepreneurs must also have the knowledge, skills, infrastructure and financial resources needed to put AI into practice. Without these conditions, there is a risk that technological development will primarily benefit companies that already have greater resources at their disposal.

The minister placed this ambition within the broader objective of economic diversification. According to him, Suriname is on the threshold of a new phase as a result of developments in the oil and gas sector. The challenge, however, is not simply to generate revenue from this sector, but to use these opportunities to build an economy capable of providing sufficient employment and prosperity over the longer term.

In addition to oil and gas, Baasaron identified agriculture, manufacturing, sustainability, energy, tourism, logistics and industry as sectors in which Suriname must invest. The digital economy, he argued, should not be viewed as an isolated sector. Rather, AI and digitalization can make existing industries more productive.

An important part of this process is the development of domestic human capital. Suriname must not only train young people to use technology, but also equip them to become developers, designers and entrepreneurs. This will require investments in programming, data analysis, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

Baasaron urged the business community not to wait until the government has developed all the solutions. Companies, he said, must invest in their employees and work more closely with educational institutions. Young innovators must also be given the opportunity to develop new solutions and critically examine existing business processes.

The minister thus implicitly warned that technological ambitions do not automatically translate into economic progress. Knowledge must be transformed into products, services, businesses and employment opportunities. Suriname's ultimate challenge, therefore, is not simply to embrace AI, but to ensure that its own population and business community can use it to create genuine economic value.