A prominent export manufacturer has highlighted the significant impact of graduates from The UWI Cave Hill Campus on the success of his company, urging other businesses to invest in the university.
Dr. Ian Hickling, President of Lenstec (Barbados) Inc., attributed much of his company’s growth to its long-standing relationship with The UWI, emphasizing the vital role graduates have played since the company began operations nearly 30 years ago.
Reflecting on his company's success, Hickling, a biochemist, acknowledged that “none of this would have been possible without engaging with UWI from day one. For 27 years, we’ve partnered with UWI in various capacities. Our first collaboration was establishing a microbiology lab through the Faculty of Science & Technology when we realized that certain tests couldn’t be conducted locally. We brought in students to help, and since then, we’ve maintained a strong relationship, regularly employing top microbiologists trained at the Cave Hill Campus”.
Lenstec (Barbados) Inc., a global manufacturing subsidiary of the Florida-based Lenstec Corporation, specializes in producing intraocular lenses which are artificial replacements used in cataract surgeries.
Since opening its facility in Barbados in 1995, the company has continued to grow, with ten per cent of its workforce comprising UWI graduates, including a team of ten research and development scientists.
Principal of the Cave Hill Campus, Professor Clive Landis also reaffirmed The UWI’s dedication to driving regional development through research and innovation. “As an academic institution, we are committed to applying our research at every level of society—collaborating with ministries, private sector partners and industries to foster innovation, entrepreneurship and contribute to the development of Barbados and the wider Caribbean,” Landis said.
This partnership between Lenstec and The UWI underscores the university’s vital role in advancing economic development through research and cultivating highly skilled alumni who continue to shape the future of the Caribbean.
Currently, more intraocular lenses are made with Lenstec technology worldwide than any other system.
Dr. Ian Hickling was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science (DSc) degree by The UWI in 2023 for his pioneering work.