SHANGHAI.- José David Montilla, the Vice Minister of Digital Agenda from 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.
Accompanying Montilla were Bartolomé Pujals, the General Director of the Government Office of Information and Communication Technologies (Ogtic); Julissa Cruz Abreu, the Executive Director of the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel); Jacquelyn Nivar Cos, a Strategic Advisor for the Ministry of the Presidency (Minpre), and other executives.
During his address, Montilla emphasized the significant role of the digital economy, which contributes 15.5% to the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He also highlighted the growing importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is expected to contribute 16% to the world’s 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 across 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, all of which encompass various actions and projects extending to 2030.
Montilla stressed the importance of selecting strategic partners in the rapidly evolving field of technology to adopt and implement the best and most efficient solutions in telecommunications and new technologies. He expressed gratitude to Huawei for supporting the Dominican Republic in its digital transformation journey for over 14 years and for delivering significant results.
Montilla emphasized the essential nature of internet access as a fundamental right, with connectivity and information and communication technologies forming 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 the company’s capabilities and innovations firsthand.