CARRY OFF.- José David Montilla, Vice Minister of Digital Agenda of the Ministry of the Presidency, represented the Dominican Republic at the Huawei Connect 2023 international conference in Shanghai, China. This event brought together key figures from the technology and telecommunications sectors.
Montilla was accompanied by Bartolomé Pujals, general director of the Government Office of Information and Communications Technologies (Ogtic); Julissa Cruz Abreu, executive director of the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel); Jacquelyn Nivar Cos, Strategic Advisor to the Ministry of the Presidency (Minpre), and other executives.
During his speech, Montilla highlighted the important role of the digital economy, which contributes 15.5% of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He also highlighted the growing importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is expected to contribute 16% of global GDP over the next seven years.
Montilla pointed out that the Dominican Republic, like many other Latin American countries, is committed to transforming its economy and improving the quality of life of its citizens through innovation and digital development in all sectors of national life.
He mentioned that the country has established a strategic framework for innovation and digital development. This framework includes a Digital Transformation Strategy known as the Digital Agenda, a National Innovation Policy, a National Cybersecurity Strategy and a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, which encompass various actions and projects that extend until 2030.
Montilla highlighted the importance of selecting strategic partners in the rapidly evolving technology field to adopt and implement the best and most efficient solutions in telecommunications and new technologies. He expressed his gratitude to Huawei for supporting the Dominican Republic in its digital transformation journey for more than 14 years and for achieving significant results.
Montilla emphasized the essential nature of Internet access as a fundamental right, with connectivity and information and communication technologies being the core of both public policies and private strategies.
As part of his visit to China, Vice Minister Montilla also had the opportunity to tour Huawei’s main factory located in Shenzhen and Dongguan, witnessing first-hand the company’s capabilities and innovations.