Director General Tang Visits Dominican Republic
March 24, 2022
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - WIPO will increase its efforts to support the promotion of innovation and creativity among the Dominican people through training and other on the ground projects designed to boost the local economy, WIPO Director General Daren Tang told President Luis Abinader Corona and Minister of Industry, Trade and MSMEs Victor Bisonó Haza.
In a meeting with President Abinader Corona, Mr. Tang outlined the potential of IP as a powerful catalyst for job creation, investment, business growth and economic and social development, pledging the Organization’s full support in the development of the Dominican Republic’s innovation ecosystem.
President Abinder Corona assured Mr. Tang of his country’s commitment to building an innovation-driven economy and strengthening the legislative and institutional elements of the country’s intellectual property (IP) system.
On a state visit to the island, Mr. Tang held a series of meetings with Government officials as well as stakeholders from the country’s innovation ecosystem. Mr. Tang said that WIPO is prepared to step up its efforts to support Dominican entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs and indigenous communities to use IP strategically.
In addition, Mr. Tang and Mr. Bisonó Haza signed on March 23, 2022 an agreement to work jointly to promote the use of IP as a tool for innovation, transformation, development and recovery in the Dominican Republic.
The agreement includes support for the development of the Dominican Republic's national IP and services export strategies, capacity building programs and efforts to help strengthen public sector capabilities.
“The most precious resource of your country is your people. Dominicans are already starting to look to innovation and entrepreneurship to earn a living. We want to work together to identify concrete projects that will deliver results on the ground and allow IP to be used as a tool for bringing ideas to the market,” Mr. Tang told the Minister, saying the projects can be in areas such as tourism, a growing sector of the economy, and to support exporters.
The Director General also said WIPO is keen on offering training to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to help them commercialize their IP.
A day earlier, Mr. Tang met with Director General Salvador Ramos of the National Office of Industrial Property and visited the Amber Museum (Museo del Ámbar) alongside, Director of the National Copyright Office José Rubén Gonell and other officials.
Mr. Tang assured Mr. Gonell that WIPO would support the development of the creative industries sector which is a large source of job creation and wealth generation for the country.
Mr. Tang also signed a memorandum of understanding with Ambassador José Rafael Espaillat, Rector of INESDyC – Institute of Higher Education on Diplomatic and Consular Training of the Foreign Ministry – on training of diplomats and trade negotiators. The Program aims to equip diplomats and negotiators with the necessary skills to discuss IP as a tool for the creation of value – both in traditional and strategic areas of the economy. The training will be customized to the specific needs of the Dominican Republic.
“We are committed to supporting the development of the Dominican Republic’s IP system so that it can help to power innovation, creativity and the country’s recovery. Today’s agreement is a testament to the strength of our partnership and our shared conviction that IP can help drive economic and social development forward,” Mr. Tang said at the signing ceremony.
In a visit to the Cybernetic Park of Santo Domingo, Mr. Tang was hosted by Founding President Eddy Martinez and was impressed by the innovation ecosystem he has constructed over decades as well as the “learning by doing” way of building innovation and entrepreneurship skills. The Director General met young innovators, including those developing virtual and augmented reality applications.
Ministerial Meeting of the Central American Sub-Region and the Dominican Republic on “Enhancing Solutions: IP as a Tool for Innovation and Sub-regional Economic Recovery
On March 23, Mr. Tang attended a Ministerial Meeting of the Central American Sub-Region and the Dominican Republic.
Mr. Tang told participants that their region of the world “has the roots and foundations of technology, of creativity, of heritage... coming together in a way that is dynamic.” This, he said, means an understanding of the power of innovation and the transformative potential of IP.
The Director General said IP should be seen as a means to an end, “to meeting the aspirations of the people of the region. That is why WIPO’s focus has expanded beyond the legal aspects of IP.”
“In a world where innovation is becoming more open, more global and faster, IP can no longer just remain a legal right but it must become a catalyst, for jobs, for investments, to support businesses and to help develop economies and societies,” he said, adding “IP must not be just focused on IP registration and enforcement but also on IP commercialization and even IP financing – which is how we use IP as an asset class.”
Outlining the strengths of the region, Mr. Tang observed a strong spirit of cooperation among the countries in the field of IP, the openness of the region and – as smaller countries – the ability to be agile, nimble, vibrant.
He said WIPO can help the countries of the region play to these strengths. In this respect, Mr. Tang suggested that future ministerial meetings consider moving towards a more workplan-driven forum. He also urged them to look at their countries as hubs, seeing IP, innovation and creativity as part of a flow of products in the region. Finally, he said the focus should be on quality, rather than quantity, given the size of the population and domestic markets.
On the sidelines of the Ministerial, the Director General held a series of bilateral meetings with ministers and other senior officials to discuss take stock of bilateral relations and opportunities for future collaboration.