01 June 2022 | For: Cubadebate
About the software development strategy in Cuba, about how the different economic and social sectors are involved in this activity, and what is the participation of state and non-state economic actors, was discussed at the Round Table on Tuesday, which included with the presence of authorities from the Ministry of Communications, the Informatics and Communications Business Group and the Union of Informatics of Cuba.
Grisel Reyes: The principle that is followed is to gain technological sovereignty At the beginning of the television program, the Deputy Minister of Communications, Grisel Reyes, referred to the development of the software industry in Cuba, which had its origins at the beginning of the revolutionary process. The deputy minister recalled that in 1969 the first university career linked to the development of informatics began to be taught in Cuba, in 1970 the first Cuban computer was created and also in that year the first Cuban algorithmic language was registered.
They are just examples of the early development of the software industry in Cuba, he stated, arguing that today the country has six university careers linked to the sector. He affirmed that the National Industry of Computer Applications and Services is a growing and strengthening industry that is in line with the 2030 Development Agenda.
The principle that is followed is to gain technological sovereignty and contribute to the substitution of imports, said the deputy minister. This industry has a vertiginous development at the international level, and in Cuba it has also been successful, he said.
He explained that, despite the pandemic and the US blockade, in 2021 it contributed to the entry of foreign currency into the country, as well as being closely linked to the national computerization and digitization program.
Reyes explained that there are 30 entities in the country dedicated to the development of computer applications and services, including 24 business entities and two scientific-technological parks, one in Havana and the other in Matanzas. In addition, four budgeted entities, including the Young Computing Club and the University of Informatics Sciences (UCI), which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2022 and has graduated more than 16,000 professionals during that time.
Of the new forms of economic management, he added, there are 124 companies dedicated to software development: two non-agricultural cooperatives, three with state participation and the rest with private capital. The national development strategy also includes the promotion of spaces for collaboration, scientific development and innovation.
The Industry has ten science, technology and innovation entities: •
Technological Science Parks
Development and Innovation Units (Desoft and Citmatel)
Research Center (Datys, Geocuba and Simpro)
Centers for Scientific and Technological Services (Xetid, ETI)
High Technology Company (Citmatel) It also covers three sectoral programs, with 21 science and technology projects, and several files on foreign investment opportunities.
According to the deputy minister, as a consequence of the restrictions imposed by the US blockade against Cuba, the application development and IT solutions industry has not been able to develop its export capacity.
Our specialists are also limited in acquiring new knowledge through platforms that are blocked for Cuban IPs, he added. However, he said, in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic, support actions are carried out to promote exports. What have been the main results? Ariadne Plasencia Castro, president of the Informatics and Communications Business Group, referred to the results of the industry from the business sector and how they contribute to the national computerization program.
He affirmed that the national industry has contributed to the development of technological solutions that respond to the demand of the business sector and various social sectors, such as education.
The specialist highlighted the results of "Guajirito", another form of management in the tourism sector, which has a global management system, which is responsible for managing capacities in hotel services. "Technological sovereignty allows us to substitute imports."
The president of the Informatics and Communications Business Group pointed out that there is a leading product of the Segurmatic Company, the national antivirus, which has versions for all operating systems. On the other hand, he said that there are solutions to electronic commerce that do not only consist of virtual stores that are free on the Internet.
“The CITMATEL store is the paradigm to follow due to the possibility it has given the country to enter foreign currency from this technological platform. Not only did it accept certain products in times of pandemic, but it has also marketed services of a different nature.” Enzona and Transfermóvil, Xetid products, have come to complement the country's electronic commerce system.
He also pointed out the support for the control and confrontation of the pandemic. In addition, in the debates on the draft of the new Family Code and the application that allowed citizens to exchange opinions with the entities that are in charge of managing opinions on these regulations.
“From a business management model, greater efficiency and impact in the industry can be achieved. This model supposes a sustainability, capacity of international insertion and prosperity”.
Management models in the industry Placencia Castro pointed out that there are 15 companies in the industry that apply the management model that allows the flexibility of salary distribution.
This supposes a structure with a design of roles and competences oriented towards productivity. In another moment of the television space, he assured that there is an opportunity from the financing of science, related to the 21 sectoral projects, such as the one in charge of strengthening the technological platform of the banking system in Cuba and the one that integrates all billing systems. and accounting management in the same system so that the user can have the possibility of choosing which one to use.
Adriane Placencia Castro commented that right now there is a first international economic cooperation contract, approved by the Council of Ministers and signed by a Spanish company and Desoft.
"This project implies having an export management model that allows us to enter certain markets." In this sense, he said that the Technological Parks, where there is naturally a privileged position for the management of financing, are an opportunity for the business system associated with the industry to identify the problems and see the universities as managing entities of science.
"The important thing is that everyone who can do something related to the industry generates results," concluded the specialist. The role of human resources Regarding the software industry, Omar Correa Madrigal, vice president of the Union of Informatics of Cuba, said one of the centers of this industry has to do with human resource management. "We have a strong task to find ways to channel that knowledge that exists and in some way look for alternatives to achieve the certification of skills of that staff."
He pointed out that there are experiences in business management workshops for which the country has a group of applications according to the different groups of companies. "Ways have been sought to enhance business management tempered to the current times of digital transformation."
He spoke about the work of virtual communities and their collaboration with all the entities that work to enable digital transformation from the community. "A lot of experiences and knowledge are channeled from these locations."
On the other hand, Correa Madrigal spoke of the importance of taking advantage of international financing to promote projects that promote innovation laboratories located in five provinces of the country. "These projects have made it possible to channel new ideas that in the future will favor the country that has to make a technological leap"