Dominican Republic to Host Inaugural Cultural Innovation Congress

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Culture will host its inaugural International Congress of Cultural Innovation on Tuesday, Nov. 11, at the Catalonia hotel in Santo Domingo. The event aims to establish the nation as a key convergence point for artists, cultural managers, technologists, academics, and policymakers focused on the digital transformation of creative sectors.

Conceived as a platform for regional dialogue and collaboration, the congress aligns with national strategies such as the 2030 National Development Strategy, the 2030 Digital Agenda, and the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy. Its core themes include innovation, sustainability, and cultural inclusion.

The gathering will feature cultural managers, artists, creative entrepreneurs, and international experts. They are expected to share insights and experiences regarding new approaches to creating, distributing, preserving, and engaging with culture in digital environments.

Discussions will center on the digital cultural economy, exploring its management, innovation, and circulation. Specific attention will be given to content monetization, designing sustainable business models for creative industries, and addressing the challenges of scalability and internationalization within the Caribbean and Latin American regions.

The Ministry of Culture plans to leverage the congress to connect local creativity with global circuits of cultural production, circulation, and consumption. This initiative seeks to foster a digital ecosystem that promotes innovation and cultural diversity as drivers of development.

Throughout the day, participants will gain access to tools and data relevant to the Dominican and regional contexts. The goal is to translate innovative concepts into tangible capabilities for the cultural sector.

Key objectives for the congress include strengthening competencies to harness emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, video games, and digital communication. It also aims to ensure equitable access to technology, protect cultural rights, and stimulate reflection on digital memory, heritage, and the preservation of cultural content on technological platforms.

The content structure is organized around five main areas:

• Digital cultural economy
• Public policies for digital transformation
• Heritage management and digital memory
• Cultural entrepreneurship and creative innovation
• “Gamer” culture and interactive narratives

Each theme will connect global trends with local realities, ensuring relevance, knowledge transfer, and practical applicability for stakeholders across the cultural value chain.

The program is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. with opening remarks from Minister Roberto Ángel Salcedo. Following this, Javier Iturralde de Bracamonte will deliver a keynote address titled “New Audiences, New Logics: Culture and Artificial Intelligence.” His presentation will offer practical insights into personalized experiences, audience measurement, interactive content generation, and the ethical and communication challenges posed by AI.

Panel discussions and conversations will address topics such as connectivity and the digital divide (with Indotel), intellectual property in digital environments (ONDA), digital government and cultural platforms (Ministry of Public Administration), and the scope of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (Ogtic).

Workshops will also be held on heritage management, cultural entrepreneurship, immersive digital projects, dissemination strategies, and "gamer" culture.

The day will conclude with the symbolic signing of a Declaration of Cultural Innovation. This document will outline principles and commitments aimed at ensuring sustainability and fostering inter-institutional cooperation within the cultural sphere.