Santiago Workshop

Santiago, Dominican Republic. With the participation of representatives of startups, SMEs, accelerators, incubators, public authorities, large companies and institutions of higher education, held a workshop aimed at validating findings from the analysis of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and adapting the Skills2Scale model to local needs, on March 4, 2026.

Methodology

The meeting was developed in discussion tables with dynamics of actor mapping, SWOT analysis and connection review. Each phase included a pooling to consolidate results and generate inputs for implementation plans.

Key Results

Among the ideas that emerged are:

• Creation of follow-up communities for entrepreneurs.
• Sectoral and innovative incubation programs.
• National digital ecosystem data platform.
• Extended technical internships with financial support.

Key agreements were reached such as strengthening the articulation between IES, industry and public authorities, promoting the transparent implementation of the CONFIE fund, promoting the formalization of MSMEs with incentives and consolidating inter-institutional alliances to share information.

Challenges and Opportunities

Participants identified challenges such as the high business mortality rate in the first three years, the cultural resistance of MSMEs to formalizing themselves, the scant connection between technical training and innovation ecosystems, the bureaucracy and lack of a centralized database. However, opportunities were also highlighted: the expansion of the regional technological ecosystem, the growing demand for technical profiles, the support of accelerators and international agencies, and the potential of business digitalization.

Recommendations

The workshop concluded with concrete proposals:

• National database of the entrepreneurial ecosystem (MICM + universities + chambers of commerce).
• Program for formalization of MSMEs (MICM + DGII + TSS + PROMIPYME, 6–18 months).
• Transparent execution of the CONFIE fund (MICM + local banks + BID, term 9 months).
• Incubation and follow-up communities of entrepreneurs (MIPYME + IES + Business associations centers, term 6–12 months).
• Extended technical internships with financial support (INFOTEP + MECYT + private sector, duration 6–24 months).
• Innovative startup incubation programs (innovation hubs + universities + investors).

The meeting strengthened trust among key stakeholders and marked a decisive step towards the consolidation of a more articulated, inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Dominican Republic.