UVI RTPark Reports $1.6 Million in Loans, Nine New Tenants and No Need for General Fund Support

The University of the Virgin Islands' Research and Technology Park will require no General Fund appropriation to sustain its operations in fiscal year 2027, even as demand for its free STEM programs has nearly tripled and officials seek larger facilities to accommodate growing enrollment. RTPark Executive Director Eric Sonnier told lawmakers that the entity’s programs reached 2,150 participants across St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John during the past year, up from 775 in fiscal year 2025. Mr. Sonnier used the RTPark’s budget hearing to outline its work in STEM education, startup investment and lending to small businesses and community organizations. A central concern, he said, is ensuring that the RTPark has the “capacity to meet the demand” for its free STEM enrichment programs. The 2,150 participants included 356 students enrolled in after-school programs at K-8 schools across the territory, up from 95 the previous year. Participation in STEAM Day increased from 161 to 284, Mr....