1. How would you describe Sercitec today, and the vision that guides it as one of the country's most established engineering consultancies?
Our story began in 1965. At that time we were among the country's pioneering engineering consultancies, and we have remained committed to advancing the profession. Our early work contributed to public infrastructure at a formative stage of national development. Over time, we expanded into the private sector, supporting increasingly sophisticated projects and international investors.
What defines SERCITEC today is the combination of that legacy with a forward-looking, multidisciplinary approach. We bring technical rigor, sound engineering judgment, integrity and a commitment to service to every assignment. Our vision is to remain a trusted partner that helps clients turn complex investment plans into viable, well-designed and responsibly delivered projects. Today, our experience encompasses more than 1,500 projects for over 190 clients, supported by a multidisciplinary team of more than 60 professionals.
2. Sercitec has spent more than 60 years on the Dominican Republic's main infrastructure projects. Which milestones stand out, and what does that legacy mean to the firm?
Road infrastructure has been a defining part of our practice. Over the decades, we have designed and supervised an extensive network of roads, measured in linear kilometers across the country. We participated in the conception, design and supervision of the Higuamo Bridge in San Pedro de Macorís, an emblematic structure. We also helped conceive and design the Itabo industrial park, as well as irrigation canals, several important dams, and secondary roads and bridges.
Sercitec won an international competitive tender, financed by the World Bank, to prepare a major transport and road-network study for Greater Santo Domingo, alongside a comparable study for Santiago. Those studies helped establish a long-term perspective on mobility and informed subsequent transport planning and institutional development. We also supervised several tunnels along 27 de Febrero Avenue.
We participated in the design and supervision of the Caucedo multimodal port, a landmark private-sector port development, working closely with the French group Bouygues during the port's development. The port is now operated by DP World. Our involvement subsequently extended to the Caucedo logistics centre and economic zone. Together, these developments have become major international reference points for trade and logistics. We also designed and supervised the Palace of Justice in Santiago.
In the 1980s, we worked on the institutional development of government agencies, including what are now the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) and the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INDRHI)
Another milestone is the continuity of the firm across generations: from my father, engineer Víctor Thomén, who established the foundations of our work, through our expansion from the public to the private sector, to the second generation leading the company and the gradual involvement of the third. That continuity preserves our values while allowing us to evolve with the needs of our clients.
3. Sercitec covers every stage of a project: studies, design, supervision, construction management, environmental management and permitting. What advantage does that integrated approach give clients?
We see ourselves as an integrated engineering partner: a coordinated point of contact across the project life cycle. By bringing studies, multidisciplinary design, environmental management, permitting, construction supervision and project management into one coherent process, we help clients reduce coordination risks, avoid costly redesigns, improve schedule predictability and exercise better cost control. The objective is to make a complex investment easier to manage, with clearer technical accountability and fewer gaps between disciplines. That is one of the most tangible forms of value we bring to our clients. In practical terms, this is our 'one-stop shop' model: one coordinated technical partner, with complementary disciplines and specialist expertise working together around the client's objectives.
We increasingly become involved at the earliest stage of a project. Take, for example, a pharmaceutical manufacturer planning to establish operations in the Dominican Republic. It first needs to consider its corporate setup; then it must identify a suitable site, assess free-zone requirements, arrange the necessary agreements and address the needs of its personnel. Working with qualified legal and other specialists where appropriate, we can coordinate those workstreams with site studies, regulatory approvals, specialized facility design and implementation. This approach helps align business, technical and regulatory decisions from the outset and offers investors a more seamless path from concept to delivery.
In many projects we become a trusted technical adviser to the owner. Investors often know what they want to achieve but need clarity on the sequence of decisions, technical constraints, costs and regulatory requirements. We help evaluate options, anticipate risks, coordinate the relevant disciplines and accompany the client from the initial concept through completion. That continuity allows them to focus on their business objectives while we help manage the engineering complexity.
4. The firm has worked on roads, water systems, industry, free zones, tourism and mining. Where do you see the most dynamism and opportunity today?
Tourism and free zones are particularly dynamic. We have worked with clients across many of the country's industrial parks and free zones, including highly regulated manufacturing environments. We have extensive experience in cleanroom design and supervision for pharmaceutical and other demanding industrial operations.
We have also helped conceive industrial parks themselves. Parque Industrial Itabo (PIISA Industrial Park) was among the country's pioneering privately developed free-zone industrial parks. Manuel Enrique Tavares and Samuel Conde worked with my father, Víctor Thomén, to bring this vision to life.
We have been involved in every stage, from the initial study to the park as it stands today, and we remain actively involved, providing services to both the park and its clients.
Road infrastructure is another important area of opportunity. The Dominican Republic continues to invest in connectivity, and the recently awarded Autopista del Ámbar is a significant example of that commitment in the north. Such investments create opportunities for public agencies and private investors, including potential concession-based developments. SERCITEC can assist project owners with studies, design, technical due diligence and construction supervision. Private developments also require access roads and bypasses, which we integrate into the overall engineering design.
In tourism, I would first highlight the scale and complexity of developments in Cap Cana and those led by Grupo Puntacana, encompassing airport infrastructure, resort properties and cultural facilities. Our work in this tourism ecosystem includes Margaritaville Cap Cana, a hospitality development with 70,000 square metres of hotel facilities and 519 rooms. On that assignment, SERCITEC reviewed technical documentation and permits, certified construction budgets, validated contractors' progress billings, evaluated payments and supported the financial closeout. This is a clear example of how technical oversight can give owners and investors better visibility over costs, physical progress and the responsible use of capital. Beyond the Dominican Republic, our hospitality design experience includes a Ritz-Carlton project in Jamaica, involving architecture, structural engineering and building-services design.
Tourism is a longstanding part of our practice. In the 1990s we designed a Hyatt hotel in Playa Dorada, Puerto Plata, which received an award even though it was never built. Today, in addition to design and supervision, we support hotel-project investors and financiers through independent technical reviews of construction progress, workmanship and quality. This helps verify that project disbursements correspond to measurable progress and flags execution risks early, while maintaining the project's delivery and quality objectives.
Tourism remains one of the Dominican Republic's most important economic engines. As the market evolves toward more sophisticated hospitality developments, projects increasingly demand higher-quality finishes, more complex building systems and rigorous technical coordination. Destinations such as Cap Cana, alongside emerging opportunities in the south, illustrate the scale and diversification of the sector. SERCITEC supports that evolution through design, supervision and independent technical oversight for owners and investors. The northern region is also benefiting from major infrastructure investments, including the Amber Highway and continued improvements in transportation and tourism infrastructure.
5. Environmental management and permitting are a Sercitec speciality. What role do environmental impact studies and regulatory compliance play in the viability of the country's major projects?
Environmental compliance is not an afterthought; it is central to project viability. Long before the country's current framework was consolidated, we were already supporting multinational clients whose corporate policies required consistent environmental standards across jurisdictions. That experience taught us to identify environmental obligations early, while key design and investment decisions can still be adjusted efficiently.
The adoption of Law 64-00 in 2000 strengthened the country's environmental framework. With our prior experience, we were well positioned to help clients address its requirements. Today we support environmental impact assessments, permitting, renewals and compliance reporting according to each project's regulatory obligations and permit conditions. Where environmental authorization is required, it is essential to a project's implementation. Addressing these matters early provides greater clarity about the approvals, documentation and time required, reducing the likelihood of costly delays.
Permitting also extends beyond environmental authorizations. Depending on the type and location of the investment, a project may need approvals from several national and local authorities. Our dedicated team identifies those requirements, prepares the necessary technical documentation and coordinates the process with the relevant institutions. Because this work is integrated with our design and environmental teams, we can anticipate potential obstacles, reduce regulatory interface risks and give clients a clearer path toward project execution.
6. In the era of nearshoring and booming free zones, industrial infrastructure is key. What is Sercitec's role in the studies, design and supervision of manufacturing facilities?
We have worked with the PIISA industrial park since 1985, working with manufacturers whose facilities must meet both Dominican requirements and corporate standards established abroad. Our early collaboration with US industry familiarized us with American building codes; today, we coordinate applicable local regulations, international standards and each client's technical specifications. We have worked with companies from Israel, France, Italy, Korea and elsewhere.
Nearshoring represents a lasting structural opportunity. Companies are seeking resilient supply chains, proximity to North American markets and reliable locations for regional production. The Dominican Republic is strategically positioned, but location is only part of the equation: a facility must also be planned, permitted and engineered around production requirements and operational deadlines. An experienced local engineering partner can make a substantial difference in managing those execution risks.
With more than four decades of experience supporting free-zone parks and the businesses located in them, we know that an industrial facility is much more than four walls and a roof. Its design must respond to the production process, equipment, utilities, environmental controls, safety, operational flow and future expansion. We combine that sector knowledge with multidisciplinary design and technical oversight, adapting each project to the client's operational requirements and applicable international standards.
A telling example is a manufacturing plant in Bonao originally conceived for textile dyeing. We worked alongside the US engineering firm Lockwood Greene, combining its specialized industrial expertise with our knowledge of Dominican engineering and regulatory requirements. Its project manager worked directly with our engineers to adapt and coordinate the drawings, which had to be certified by Dominican engineers with authorized signatures. That collaboration exemplifies our history of sharing technical knowledge and taking responsibility for local implementation.
International investors often engage global engineering firms that already know their business. We are accustomed to collaborating with international teams and providing the local knowledge needed for effective project delivery. If an investor prefers to work with its established international consultancy, SERCITEC can complement that relationship with Dominican engineering, permitting expertise and on-the-ground coordination. The same principle applies to complex developments such as data centers: international design criteria must be aligned with local conditions and regulatory requirements. Bridging global expectations and reliable local execution is one of our principal strengths.
7. This supplement will be published during the World Government Summit in Dubai in February 2027. What message would you like to give Gulf News readers about Sercitec as a local engineering, consultancy and environmental partner for Gulf investors developing projects in the Dominican Republic?
As-salamu alaykum to our friends in the Gulf. My message is simple: you can count on SERCITEC as a committed and experienced partner. Inshallah, we will have the opportunity to build something lasting together.
International collaboration has been part of our identity from the beginning. Working alongside firms from different regions has allowed us to exchange expertise, align technical standards and bridge professional cultures. Over the years, we have collaborated with international counterparts from the Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East. We have worked with clients from Israel and have recently worked with Korean clients, navigating different working cultures and time zones. On one challenging assignment, we helped a client resolve a difficult situation. It is an example of the responsiveness, technical rigor and problem-solving commitment we bring to our international relationships.
The Dominican Republic offers a compelling platform for investment in the Caribbean and the wider Americas. Its strategic location, established industrial and tourism ecosystems, relative political stability and developed financial sector are important strengths, alongside an evolving regulatory and legal framework that investors should assess carefully. For Gulf investors seeking to diversify their portfolios and establish a presence closer to Latin American and North American markets, the country deserves serious consideration. Our role is to help translate that opportunity into projects that are technically sound, properly permitted and managed with discipline from concept to completion. We would be proud for SERCITEC to become their long-term engineering partner.
