Polo advocates technological development and innovation for competitiveness

Santo Domingo.- Technological development, innovation and giving value to new ideas are fundamental elements if the country's companies are to be competitive and can make a greater contribution to national development, said Miguel Escala, Rector of Intec, an institution that participates in the Scientific-Technological and Innovation Pole of the Northwest of Santo Domingo.

Escala, who took the floor by leaving the Second Round of Projects open, said that the 17 institutions that make up the Pole are looking to make their contributions and announced that they are working to create a science and technology cluster in the Dominican Republic.

He explained that for small and medium enterprises it is easier to contract services in the country "with the advantage that we are guaranteeing the same quality as other international suppliers, but at a lower cost". "Improving or innovating is necessary to be competitive, and must be adjusted to the needs of companies and their budgets," said Escala.

Projects were presented in the areas of technology, biotechnology, organic agriculture, education, mechanical services, consultancies for the industrial sector, among others.

Eddy Martínez, Director of the CEI-RD, affirmed that it is necessary to recognize that progress has been made and that in the country there is an extremely diversified economy, ensuring that 2010 exported more than 3000 different tariff lines and that the 92% are the so-called Non-traditional products, but considered that there is an opportunity to advance more.

The Scientific-Technological and Innovation Pole of the Northwest of Santo Domingo, an entity that brings together 17 government institutions, academics and service NGOs to the productive sector is integrated, in addition to the INTEC, by the National University Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU), the University APEC (UNAPEC), the National Institute of Technical Professional Training (INFOTEP), the National Competitiveness Council (CNC), the Export and Investment Center of the Dominican Republic (CEI-RD), the National Office of Industrial Property (ONAPI) , the Center for Development and Industrial Competitiveness (PROINDUSTRIA), the National Energy Commission (CNE), the Dominican Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Research (IDIAF), the Center for Agricultural and Forestry Development (CEDAF), the Institute of Innovation in Biotechnology and Industry (IIBI), the Central Veterinary Laboratory (LAVECEN), the Dominican Environmental Consortium (CAD), the National Botanical Garden Dr. R Afael Ma. Moscoso, the Association of Industrial Companies of Herrera (AEIH) and the Brugal Foundation.