With Jamaica’s economic transformation relying heavily on the strength of its partnerships, Sagicor Group Jamaica reaffirmed its commitment to collaborative nation-building as the title sponsor of the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) Manufacture 360° Conference 2025.

Held on May 29 at the AC Hotel Kingston under the theme ‘Shaping the Future of Jamaican Manufacturing from All Angles’, the conference brought together public and private sector stakeholders to align around strategies for driving growth, innovation, and resilience within the manufacturing and export industries.

Delivering remarks, Christopher Zacca, President and CEO of Sagicor Group Jamaica, underscored that sustainable economic growth cannot be achieved in silos.

“The private sector alone cannot transform the landscape, and neither can the government acting on its own,” he said. “If we are serious about building a Jamaica that works for everyone, then we must embrace this truth: public-private partnership is not an option, but it is a national imperative.”

Zacca praised the JMEA for creating a space that goes beyond policy discussions and targets real-world outcomes. As part of this partnership, Sagicor introduced the JMEA Care Health Plan, a sector-specific initiative offering health and life insurance to thousands of employees across over 400 JMEA member companies.

While the offering reflects Sagicor’s continued investment in the sector, Zacca positioned it as just one element of a broader vision.

“Through initiatives like JMEA Care, SME financial wellness workshops, and capacity-building programmes, we are not just supporting businesses, but we are helping to build an ecosystem where manufacturers can scale, innovate, and compete,” he said. “This is what happens when the private and public sectors align around shared goals.”

Sydney Thwaites, President of the JMEA, echoed this sentiment, stating that the conference itself is proof of what can happen when industry leaders, policymakers, financiers, and innovators work together. “We’re not just witnessing change, but we’re shaping it,” Thwaites said. “This conference is not just a network event, it’s a platform for vision, collaboration and transformation, with the collaboration being how we’re going to move this economy forward.”

The Manufacture 360° Conference arrives at a pivotal time. Despite modest growth of 1.4% in real value-added output for 2024, the manufacturing sector continues to face significant headwinds. Both Zacca and Thwaites emphasised that while Jamaica has the talent, creativity, and market potential to lead, unlocking that leadership requires deeper alignment in policy, process, and purpose.

As Sagicor continues to partner with the JMEA and other industry bodies, its focus remains on creating enabling conditions for businesses and workers alike. “Jamaica has a powerful brand and a deep well of creativity,” Zacca said. “What we need now is alignment, and that is what Sagicor is here to help catalyse.”

As Jamaica continues to navigate a fast-changing global environment, the partnership between Sagicor Group Jamaica and the JMEA represents a model for effective public-private collaboration. Through shared initiatives, both organisations aim to support national development by strengthening the manufacturing and export sectors, fostering innovation, and empowering small and medium enterprises to compete globally.