GEIC President: Ensuring that digitization has an orderly basis

The president of the IT and Communications Business Group (GEIC), Ariadne Plasencia Castro, said in an interview with Cubadebate that the Informática 2024 Fair allows us to appreciate how the solutions developed in the field of ICTs can be integrated in Cuba.

The also executive secretary of the fair said that at the event they have “first-hand, direct information” on the progress of digital transformation in the country.

“There is a peculiarity that we have been insisting on these days. We are at a time in our society and our economy when several players are coming together who, regardless of the type of property they manage, are moving in a very intense and interesting way towards the development of ICT-related products and services,” she said.

According to Plasencia Castro, there is a “much clearer” orientation for these entities and actors to provide services oriented to digital transformation.

“The fact that we are here, even for a week, allows us to see how our results work; how, in some way, these services are accompanying the transformation of processes, even from the infrastructure, which is not only connectivity, but also service management, so that there is a real linkage between suppliers, those who manage the infrastructure, those who are facing consumers or customers, those responsible for the processes and decision-makers,” said the GEIC president.

The fair’s business forum is one of the spaces created for the presentation and exchange of products and services. At the same time, companies and other entities present their results in the stands at the Pabexpo fairgrounds.

“Every day, presentations and launches are held at most of the stands, and in some cases end with the formalization of alliances, contracts and collaborations,” explained Plasencia Castro.

She pointed out that exchanges have taken place not only between Cuban companies, but also with foreign companies and between science, technology and innovation entities, particularly science and technology parks and the heads or heads of projects “who consider that, incubated in the park, they can achieve not only new results, but even generate technology-based companies.”

The president of GEIC commented that the digital agenda, which has the Ministry of Communications as its main administrator, should be approved in the next few weeks.

“The agenda is accompanied by a group of driving projects related not only to strategic sectors, but to those that are going to more quickly link digital transformation with the efficiency and growth of our economy,” she remarked.

Regarding the state of digital transformation in Cuba, she considered that “it is necessary to insist on the organization of processes and on the real transformation of organizations,” so that the digitization process has an orderly basis.

 “That means that we, who have prepared many human resources for the development of products and services, also have to give an approach of ICT consultants, to guide, assist and collaborate with decision makers and that the characteristics, transformations, modifications linked to their activities have the look at how much technology can improve,” stated Plasencia Castro.