- Johannes Kelner said that the Dominican Republic enjoys advantages to attract investments in advanced manufacturing, medical devices and electronics, but pointed out that the training of human capital will be decisive in sustaining that growth.
The Dominican Republic offers favorable conditions to attract international investments hoping to bring their operations closer to the U.S. market, but the development of specialized human talent is emerging as one of the main challenges to fully take advantage of this opportunity.
Johannes Kelner, executive director of the National Council of Free Export Zones (CNZFE), stated this during his participation on the panel entitled “Logistics after the shock: supply chains, margins and repositioning”, part of Business Vision 2026, organized by the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic (AmchamDR).
During his speech, Kelner pointed out that sectors such as medical devices, electronics and advanced manufacturing continue to show interest in expanding or relocating operations to markets closer to the United States, a trend driven by the changes that global supply chains have undergone in recent years.
The executive explained that geopolitical uncertainty, logistical disruptions and changes in trade policies have led many companies to rethink where to produce and from where to supply their main markets.
In this context, he stressed that the Dominican Republic maintains competitive advantages associated with its geographical location, connectivity and proximity to the United States, elements that continue to strengthen the country’s attractiveness for new investments.
“We once again highlight our proximity and connectivity with the United States,” he said. Kelner said that interest in setting up operations in the country is still present, especially among companies seeking to reduce risks associated with extensive or highly dependent supply chains in Asia. However, he acknowledged that some investment decisions remain in an observation phase due to the uncertainty that still exists in the international environment.
Despite this scenario, he said that the outlook remains favorable for sectors linked to higher value-added manufacturing, specialized technologies, and advanced industrial processes.
However, he cautioned that the country should not focus solely on external opportunities, but also on domestic challenges that could limit its ability to take advantage of them.
He identified the development of human talent as one of the most relevant aspects. “I believe that one of the important risks that we have as a region and one we must combat is the issue of human talent,” he said.
Kelner considered it one of the few factors where the country can take direct action and that it requires coordinated efforts between the public sector, the private sector’ and educational institutions.
He went on to explain that companies assessing new locations for their operations no longer merely look at aspects such as tax incentives, infrastructure or geographical location. They are increasingly looking for the availability of trained personnel, job stability, and technical capabilities aligned with the needs of more sophisticated industries.
He then stressed that the Dominican Republic has attributes that can be converted into additional competitive advantages, including the relatively low levels of labor turnover seen in some operations installed in the country, especially when compared to other competing markets.
According to Kelner, several international companies have pinpointed this stability as a favorable element to maintain long-term operations and develop more complex production processes.
The executive director of the CNZFE considered that strengthening technical and professional training will be essential to respond to the demands of sectors that demand specialized personnel and that represent some of the greatest growth opportunities for the Dominican free zones.
He believes the combination of strategic location, stability, and availability of talent will determine the country’s ability to consolidate itself as one of the main manufacturing investment destinations in the region in the coming years.
Source:
