HOLY SUNDAY.-The Dominican Republic seems determined to take a new leap in its development model.
After moving from agricultural exports to services, the country now seeks to insert itself into the high value-added economy supported by technology, with the official goal of doubling its gross domestic product by 2030.
For centuries, from the arrival of the Spanish until well into the second half of the 20th century, the Dominican economy revolved around the production of raw materials for export or domestic consumption, with an industrial boost particularly during the Trujillo era.
Subsequently, the country evolved towards a service economy, with tourism and free zones as the main drivers. Today the objective is to become a regional technological node.
The digital port
One of the most visible steps of this strategy is the investment of 500 million dollars announced by Google to install in the national territory its first digital port in Latin America (the eighth worldwide) whose entry into operations is projected for 2027.
The infrastructure will significantly expand the country’s international connectivity.
As company executives explained during a meeting with directors of the Dominican Newspaper Society last week, the selection was due to the combination of institutional stability, strategic geographic location and favorable conditions for technological investment.
Currently the country has six submarine fiber optic cables, five of them with more than fifteen years in service.
The new project will add two direct cables from the southern United States, multiplying the routes through which data circulates.
In practical terms, a greater number of routes implies lower latency, greater speed and operational redundancy. This opens the door to data centers, cloud services, artificial intelligence, digital financial platforms and global business operations.
President Luis Abinader issued a decree declaring of national interest the construction of digital exchange centers, nodes where telecommunications networks connect directly without the information having to leave the country to return to it.
The measure seeks to improve Internet performance and reduce costs for companies and users. The initiative is also linked to the phenomenon of nearshoring, through which international companies move operations near the US market to reduce logistical and geopolitical risks.
The space project
At the same time, the Government is preparing the announcement of an even more ambitious project, consisting of the construction in Oviedo, Pedernales, of a space launch port for commercial satellites and small-scale rockets. The plan arises from an agreement between the Dominican State and the American company Launch on Demand after more than two years of negotiations.
More than a rocket base, it is conceived as a technological platform integrated into the Latin American commercial space industry. The location is due to the fact that the municipality has a low population density, direct access to the Caribbean Sea, low light pollution and relative proximity to the equator, which reduces fuel consumption during launches thanks to the use of the Earth’s rotation.
The project would also have applications in national security, by facilitating satellite observation for maritime surveillance, immigration control, environmental monitoring and forest fires.
Pedernales Case
The spaceport is integrated into the development of the Cabo Rojo tourist hub, the new international airport and the digital infrastructure that is being installed in the region.
Beyond their technical feasibility, these initiatives make clear the intention of the Dominican Government to go from a country of services to one that participates in the knowledge economy, including in the commercial space industry, one of the fastest growing global markets.
a zoom
—1— Bet
Manage to insert the country into the high value-added economy with the support of technology.
—2— Beginnings
For just over fifteen years, the Dominican Republic has had six submarine fiber optic cables.
—3— Possibility
The expansion of this base will open a window for investments.
Legal push to digital infrastructure
Detail. In parallel, the Government has promoted legislation for technology industries, digitalization of public procedures, electronic signature, programming training and training agreements with international companies.
The idea is to go beyond speeches by achieving the ideal legal conditions to adapt to an increasingly changing and competitive digital market.
The new projects seek to transform national competitiveness so that it depends not only on labor costs or geographical advantages, but also on technological capacity.
The bet is to turn the country into a digital node of the Caribbean in a global economy increasingly dominated by data, connectivity and technological platforms.
