A few months ago, I attended the 1st International Investment and Nearshoring Forum of the Dominican Republic, organized by Promérica, which focused on industrial opportunities and free trade zones in our country. Top-level regional players participated, including representatives from CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield, Colliers, and Newmark, all with extensive experience in global markets but based in Costa Rica.
The conclusion reached by all of them for the Dominican public and private sectors in attendance was resounding and worth stating bluntly:
It's not enough to have good developers, available capital, well-located land, and top-notch finishes, and to obtain enviable returns.
It's not enough to be in the heart of the American continent. To have the best ports, airports, and highways.
All of that is necessary, but not sufficient.
The most important asset is no longer the building.
Whether we're talking about advanced manufacturing, life sciences, electronics, BPOs, or data centers,
in every case, the most valuable asset of these companies today is their employees.
The Dominican Republic has a solid talent base in sectors such as textiles, tobacco, traditional manufacturing, and services. But if we want to move up a league—as Costa Rica did—we need to raise the educational and technical level of our human capital, from operational roles to engineers and middle management.
Multinational companies no longer just ask:
• Are there tax incentives?
• Are there available warehouses? • What are the leasing terms? What is the height of the warehouse?
They ask:
• Is there skilled talent available?
• How much will it cost to train them?
• How quickly can I scale my operation in the short, medium, and long term?
If a company has to train its entire team from scratch, the challenge multiplies. And often, that determines the country they choose.
Sustainability: the issue that can no longer be ignored.
Not as talk, but as real practice:
• Intelligent design
• Energy efficiency
• Responsible operation
• International standards
Global companies don't ask if a project is sustainable. They ask how it is.
The future is being built in parallel.
Industrial real estate development and human talent development must advance together. One cannot function without the other. It is a two-way relationship.
We can have top-of-the-line facilities, but without skilled people, we won't attract the businesses that truly transform a country.
The industrial future isn't built with concrete and capital alone. It's built with people, vision, and education.
