VIS 2026VIS 2026 — Virtual Island Summit|Also: GSIS 2027GSIS 2027
Island Innovation Logo
About
Services
The Network
Events
Content Library
Contact Us

Subscribe to our newsletter. By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy.

Island Innovation

Island Innovation works with governments, institutions, and partners worldwide to support island-led sustainable economic development.

We Support The UN Development Goals

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and InfrastructureSDG 11: Sustainable Cities and CommunitiesSDG 12: Responsible Consumption and ProductionSDG 13: Climate ActionSDG 14: Life Below WaterSDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Explore

AboutServicesNetworkEvents

Content

ArticlesNewsCareers

Ready to Connect?

Join the island innovation community

Get in Touch

About

  • About us
  • Case Studies
  • FAQs
  • Press
  • Careers
  • Contact

Services

  • Services Overview
  • Public & Media Relations
  • Strategic Communications

Network

  • The Island Network
  • Academic Council
  • Newsletter

Events

  • Our Events
  • Watch Past Events

Content

  • All Content Library
  • Videos
  • Articles
  • News
Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceContact

© 2025 Island Innovation. All rights reserved.

    News

    Curated stories and analysis from islands and sustainability leaders worldwide.

    Filter by Core Theme

    All ThemesCircular EconomyClimate ActionConnectivity & DigitizationCulture & CommunityEnergy & TransportGreen Finance & EconomyOcean & BiodiversityPolicy & GovernanceTourism & Remote WorkWater & Food
    Showing 9 of 124 news items in Connectivity & Digitization
    Model school for global education rooted on small Hiroshima island
    Connectivity & DigitizationMarch 11, 2025

    Model school for global education rooted on small Hiroshima island

    Photo courtesy of Chugoku Shimbun. Retrieved from japantimes.co.jp Hiroshima Global Academy, a full-time boarding school on a remote island in Hiroshima Prefecture, is sending off its first graduating class this March. The junior and senior high school was established by the prefecture in April 2019 on the island of Osakikamijima as a model for education reform, and uses the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum — a globally recognized program that prepares students for international studies. The school, which has 255 students, including international students, says it focuses on fostering independent learning, aiming to nurture future leaders who have both a global perspective and a sense of maintaining ties with the local community. In mid-December, 45 third-year high school students received their results for the IB Diploma Program (DP), which they had been pursuing since their first winter in high school. The DP requires students to choose one subject each from six categories, including language and literature, mathematics and arts. Some subjects are conducted entirely in English, and students are expected to approach subjects with a strong sense of inquiry.

    Read more
    12345678910
    ‘Game changer’: Drones bringing medicine to remote Mayo island
    Connectivity & DigitizationMarch 4, 2025

    ‘Game changer’: Drones bringing medicine to remote Mayo island

    Excerpt and Photo from rte.ie The University of Galway is carrying out a pilot project that aims to transform how remote island communities receive their healthcare. The Healthy Islands initiative, also known as Na hOileáin Sláintiúil, uses hi-tech drones to deliver critical medical supplies to Clare Island off Co Mayo on a trial basis. The drones have been operating from Carrowmore Beach in Louisburgh and flying to the island at a speed of around 120km/h. The journey time is just under ten minutes. The drones operate autonomously using artificial intelligence and are equipped to handle challenging terrain and unpredictable coastal weather conditions.

    Read more
    Empowering women by strengthening digital security in the Solomon Islands
    Connectivity & DigitizationFebruary 25, 2025

    Empowering women by strengthening digital security in the Solomon Islands

    Excerpt and Photo from asiapacific.unwomen.org To address growing online security concerns, especially those faced by women leaders and women Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), UN Women, in partnership with the Solomon Islands’ Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs, and with the support of Australia’s Cyber and Critical Technology Cooperation Program, has organized a two-day capacity-building workshop in Honiara. Held on 30-31 January 2025, the workshop was tailored to the local needs of women CSOs and informed by the findings of recent digital security research by UN Women and the UN University Institute in Macau (UNU Macau) which highlighted the disproportionate risks faced by women-led CSOs. For example, 53 per cent of women-led CSOs reported experiencing disinformation (sometimes, often, or very often), compared to 43 per cent of non-women-led CSOs, according to the report, [Cybersecurity Threats, Vulnerabilities and Resilience Among Women Human Rights Defenders and Civil Society in South-East Asia](https://asiapacific.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2024/05/cybersecurity-threats-vulnerabilities-and-resilience). Additionally, 51 per cent of women-led CSOs had faced online harassment, versus 34 per cent of non-women-led CSOs. The workshop brought together 32 women CSO representatives from across the Solomon Islands. Through practical exercises and expert-led discussions, participants strengthened their knowledge of cyber hygiene, cyber resilience and AI literacy.

    Read more
    Gisela Vea puts Tonga on the chess map
    Connectivity & DigitizationFebruary 19, 2025

    Gisela Vea puts Tonga on the chess map

    Photo courtesy: Nigel Short Facebook. Retrieved from pmn.co.nz A young Tongan woman has made history by becoming the first Tongan to compete in an international chess tournament. Gisela Vea represented the Kingdom of Tonga at the Zonal Oceania Chess Championship in Melbourne last month. Speaking to John Pulu on PMN Tonga, Vea said she began by joining the school chess club in Canberra, and then her involvement grew. “The opportunity came when my uncle started up the chess federation in Tonga and this opportunity to represent Tonga in the Zonal Oceania tournament in Melbourne came. “I just took it and I thought being the first Tongan to do that was huge, getting to represent our little nation. It was a good experience.”

    Read more
    Solomon Islands hosts knowledge-building workshop on women, peace and security
    Connectivity & DigitizationFebruary 4, 2025

    Solomon Islands hosts knowledge-building workshop on women, peace and security

    Excerpt and photo from asiapacific.unwomen.org The Solomon Islands’ Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs (MWYCFA) has convened a pivotal workshop on women, peace and security in Honiara, in partnership with UN Women. Held on 28-29 January 2025, the event brought together more than 50 participants from various ministries and civil society organizations. The Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda is an established global framework aimed at achieving the full and equal representation and participation of women in all levels of peace processes and security efforts. The workshop aimed to support the development of a robust second edition of the country’s National Action Plan (NAP) on WPS. Dr Cedric Alependava, MWYCFA Permanent Secretary, emphasized: “This workshop will empower us to develop a second edition of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security that is both comprehensive and inclusive, while also addressing emerging threats such as the impact of climate change on our communities and the growing risks of online harm”.

    Read more
    Mentorship in Motion: WIRE Network Celebrates Progress in Barbados
    Connectivity & DigitizationJanuary 29, 2025

    Mentorship in Motion: WIRE Network Celebrates Progress in Barbados

    Excerpt  and Photo from rmi.org “The WIRE Network has been life changing, as it provides a conduit for me to engage with such powerful women in the field….  We are all different but so alike,” said Sheena Gosine, referring to the RMI-run Women in Renewable Energy (WIRE) Network. Gosine is a mentee in WIRE’s mentorship program. Through opportunities like these, women like Gosine have risen to become innovators and decision-makers in the energy sector, driven by their dedication, hard work, and the support of strong professional networks. The [WIRE Network](https://rmi.org/wire/) is a professional development group for women working in energy in island nations throughout the Caribbean. Every year, 12 women are selected to participate in WIRE’s flagship mentorship and networking program. Along with periodic mentor-mentee meetings, the full cohort meets monthly for technical trainings or interpersonal sessions, led by women leaders of the region (often program alumni, underscoring the wider network connection). The WIRE cohort also convenes every year for training, networking, and planning for the year ahead. This year, the WIRE cohort met in Bridgetown, Barbados, for a three-day convening filled with guest speakers, networking activities, and site visits around the island. Read on for a rundown of the uplifting stories, shared knowledge, and lasting connections that came out of the three-day convening. The convening began with a morning meetup in the hotel lobby filled with hugs, photos, and laughter. Members of the WIRE Network have formed deep bonds with one another over the years, transcending their professional relationships to strong friendships and mutual trust. After a quick welcome address by RMI’s Laura Diez, the current coordinator of the WIRE Network, the group boarded the tour bus and headed to the Barbados Fair Trade Commission (FTC) for a kickoff session hosted by Marsha Atherley-Ikechi, FTC’s CEO.

    Read more
    Empowering Youth to Shape Governance in Yap
    Connectivity & DigitizationJanuary 21, 2025

    Empowering Youth to Shape Governance in Yap

    Excerpt and Photo from undp.org A new Youth in Civic Education program was recently launched by Yap’s State Legislature, in the Federated States of Micronesia. Supported by the people and Government of Japan via Phase Two of the Strengthening Legislatures in Pacific Island Countries (SLIP II) project – implemented by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Pacific Office – 13 high school students from across the State participated in the program with the aim to enhance youth participation in the democratic space through hands-on activities such as mock elections and parliamentary debates. Hon. Nicholas Figirlaarwon, Speaker of Yap State Legislature, said it was critical to engage with the next generation of Micronesian leaders: “We want our youth to speak so we can listen. We hope to revitalise the hearts of our young people to care for Yap, to love Yap, and to stay in Yap.”

    Read more
    From shyness to leadership: Head girl’s journey to uplifting Pacific youth
    Connectivity & DigitizationJanuary 21, 2025

    From shyness to leadership: Head girl’s journey to uplifting Pacific youth

    Photo courtesy of Photo/Manuia Fox-Romia. Retrieved from pmn.co.nz When Manuia Fox-Romia received the call confirming her selection as Head Girl of Māngere College, it felt surreal. “I was at somebody’s prize-giving, and I was told that I would get the call that night. I was anxiously waiting, constantly checking my phone. “When I was told the news, it was just so surreal to me because I think if I look back to year nine, somebody who did not know anybody, somebody who was so shy and just joined every extracurricular group they could, it’s such a gigantic leap for me.” Now in her final year at Māngere College in south Auckland, Fox-Romia’s journey is not just a personal success story but also an inspiration to Pacific youth and a testament to the power of education and determination. **Building confidence through debate** When Fox-Romia started at Māngere College, she struggled with confidence and social skills.

    Read more
    The Canary Islands hosts the III Macaronesian Summit to strengthen the alliance between the Atlantic archipelagos
    Connectivity & DigitizationNovember 12, 2024

    The Canary Islands hosts the III Macaronesian Summit to strengthen the alliance between the Atlantic archipelagos

    Excerpt and Photo from noticias8islas.com and translated from Spanish The Canary Islands hosts the third edition of the Macaronesia Summit in Lanzarote, a key event to revitalize relations between the Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores and Cape Verde. Representatives of these four archipelagos discussed and approved cooperation strategies on key issues such as sustainable tourism, innovation, technology, renewable energy, circular economy and connectivity. This summit marks the return of meetings between these mid-Atlantic territories, after a six-year break since their last edition in 2018 in San Miguel, Azores. The first summit took place in 2010 in Sao Vicente, Cape Verde. The Lanzarote meeting, which took place between 6 and 7 October, seeks to give a new impetus to territorial integration through an approach that allows common challenges to be faced. Strategic areas of cooperation

    Read more