INTEC reaches 200 graduates of certification in Medical Device Manufacturing
SANTO DOMINGO. -El Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) exceeded 200 graduates of the concentration in Medical Device Manufacturing, an initiative that is part of the Industrial Engineering career and that is developed in coordination with the Medical Devices Cluster of the Dominican Association of Free Zones (ADOZONA).
The program, which began in 2017, delivered its fifth promotion made up of 76 INTEC students, of which 61 work in the Medical and Pharmaceutical Devices cluster. The Dominican Republic is the leader in the region in the manufacture and export of medical devices, exceeding RD$1,800 billion in 2021. It is the main export item in local free zones.
Rafael Piantini, Coordinator of Education of the Cluster and Manager of Human Resources of the PIISA Industrial Park (ITABO), affirmed that INTEC has been a key actor in the training of young talents who graduate with the necessary knowledge to start their professional career in the companies of the sector.
“Without a doubt, this program, due to the results it exhibits today, can be considered a successful model to apply to other industries, given that a percentage that ranges between 80 and 85% of those who graduate work in our sector and companies value their special training received at INTEC”, said Piantini.
Meanwhile, Julio Sánchez Maríñez, rector of INTEC, indicated that the concentration is possible due to the collaboration of the university and the companies. He indicated that in 2022 INTEC celebrates 50 years of history in which alliances with the government and business sectors are key. "INTEC was born for the training of excellence, but also to be the preferred partner of the productive sectors for the sustainable development of the country, and this type of ceremony is a palpable example," he said.
In this sense, Claudia Pellerano, president of the Las Américas Free Trade Zone Industry Park and vice president of ADOZONA, congratulated the graduates and described the graduation as an advance for the students' careers, which will contribute to their professional development and job positioning.
“The level they reach today prepares them to venture more actively into key sectors, in which, in addition to challenges, which will surely help them grow professionally, they will also present them with the possibility of feeling that their work transcends beyond their own well-being and , what is more, that what they do every day helps to improve health and save lives”, he assured.
During the act, Luis Toirac, coordinator of the INTEC Industrial Engineering career, argued that the joint efforts of academia, industry and the State come together at a time such as graduation, providing the country with new professionals required by the sector.
According to the 2019 Medical Device Sector Talent Needs study, “the medical device sector has had an annual growth in jobs of 5.8% between 2013 and 2018, which is expected to continue for the next 5 years. This growth seems to be in line with the goal of the Medical Devices cluster of reaching 35,000 jobs by 2027, if we assume that the strategy it is executing includes promoting the country to attract more investment to the sector”.
Toirac said that a study of the cluster shows that growth is very difficult without human talent. “This gives us an opportunity to measure the competencies that we are creating and above all to achieve that connection that is known to be necessary but that sometimes costs more to build than one would like to think,” he said.
In that order, Gerle Peña, professor in the Engineering Area, expressed that Dominican hands have played a stellar role in the manufacture of essential products for the protection of people during the COVID-19 pandemic. "The local medical device industry is the main export subsector within the free zone sector and has been identified as strategic for exports and job creation."
Peña stressed that the objective of the concentration is to provide a professional profile that has intermediate and advanced knowledge about the industry, in a way that allows to shorten their learning cycle and their immediate insertion, being able to add value.
About the training program
The Concentration in Medical Devices began in 2017 as a contribution from INTEC, ADOZONA and the Medical Devices cluster. Its objective is to train professionals with the skills to design, innovate, integrate and manage processes and products, complying with all regulatory level requirements; lead multidisciplinary teams and solve problems in the area of medical devices.
The study program comprises 12 credits, distributed over two trimesters, and covers the subjects: Lean Manufacturing, Regulations and Standards of the Medical Device Industry, Metrology, Validation of Products and Processes, and Standardization and Quality Systems.