This report was prepared by two divisions from the OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), led by Director Jerry Sheehan: the Productivity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Division (PIE), supporting the Committee on Industry, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE); and the Digital Connectivity, Economics and Society Division (DCES), supporting the Digital Policy Committee (DPC).
This report was prepared by Tom McGee and Sara Romaniega Sancho, under the supervision and guidance of Guy Lalanne (Acting Head of PIE Division). Lea Samek, Filipe Silva and Molly Lesher (Head of DCES Division) and Jerry Sheehan provided valuable input and oversight. The leadership of Deputy Director for STI, Audrey Plonk, on semiconductor policy is gratefully acknowledged.
The OECD Secretariat appreciates the engagement from the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs (MICM) and is particularly grateful for the support from Felipe Herrera Cabral (Chief of Staff) and María de Lourdes Cabrera (Director). Their involvement was invaluable in co-ordinating and enabling discussions during a fact-finding mission to Santo Domingo on 19-21 November 2024. During this mission, the OECD Secretariat exchanged with a range of governmental and non-governmental stakeholders including: the MICM, the Ministry of the Presidency, the National Council of Free Zones, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development, the National Competitiveness Council, the National Energy Commission, the General Directorate of Customs, the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications, the Dominican Association of Free Zones, PIISA Industrial Park, PISANO Industrial Park, Las Américas Free Zone, the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic, the Dominican Association of Foreign Investment Companies, the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic, Eaton, FENIX, InterEnergy, Rockwell and the labour unions CASC and FENATRAZONAS. Subsequent conversations and exchanges with the following organisations were also insightful: the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, the National Fund for Innovation and Scientific and Technological Development, the Ministry of Housing and Construction, the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, ProDominicana, the Stock Market Superintendence, Dominican Port Authority, the Development and Export Bank, Nigua Free Zone, Santo Domingo Institute of Technology (INTEC), BHD Bank and PC Precision. The support of Perla Rosario (National Statistics Office of the Dominican Republic, ONE) in accessing datasets used in this report was also highly useful. Discussions with Marino Auffant, Timothy Sturgeon and representatives from Purdue University’s Applied Research Institute and mySilicon Compass provided useful context for parts of this report.
Additional statistical support from Hélène Dernis was warmly appreciated. Administrative and technical support from Anaísa Gonçalves and editorial support from Charles-Édouard Van de Put and Eleonore Morena were very valuable.