Cuba US

With frozen relations between Cuba and the U.S. thawing, the Cuban tech industry may soon began to thrive beyond the country's borders.

(Desmond Boylan/Associated Press)

By James Barrood

Last week, the NJ Tech Council led a truly remarkable trade mission. The destination: Cuba.

Our group was made up of business leaders from many industries including mobile software/apps, biotech, IT staffing, renewable energy, construction, engineering, banking and others. Whatever our preconceptions about the island were, they were mostly turned upside down.

Before my first trip, I was told to expect little more than a communist dictatorship filled with unhappy and poor people. I can only speak for what I observed: that is not what I saw in the many meetings I held, or in the many areas of Cuba I visited. Rather, I found one of the most literate, healthy, educated, cultured, proud, warm and happy societies on the planet.

On this, my second trip to Cuba in 15 months, I didn't expect to learn much more -- but indeed I did. Visits to two biotech institutes, the chamber of commerce, a tech company, tourism officials, a software entrepreneur, and others, enlightened me about the incredible work that is going on there.

Some of the Cuban biotech industry's earliest and most significant products were targeted to fight diseases of children and mothers. The results have been quite impressive. Cuba has one of the lowest rates of infant and maternal mortality. Polio, neonatal tetanus, diphtheria, measles, rabies, mumps, whooping cough, and congenital rubella have been eradicated; its bacterial meningitis rates are among the world's lowest. One stand out product is recombinant epidermal growth factor -- the vaccine against hepatitis B -- with which the entire Cuban population under 25 years old is immunized.

In the cancer research, Cubans have had considerable success with Nimotuzumab, which treats advanced head and neck tumors, pediatric brain tumors and glioma and esophageal cancers. They have also created the first world-approved therapeutic vaccine for lung cancer treatment.

Cuban industry has also pioneered products in the agricultural sector, including a vaccine that reduces bovine tick-borne diseases; as well as a fish food supplement that enhances growth in both fish and shrimp.

Despite limited funding, Cuba has been able to manage tourism growth while setting aside 22 percent of the country for environmental preservation. More importantly, when a project had been overbuilt and environmental damage recognized, Cuba chose to scale back the project, learning from its mistakes - which, as American entrepreneurs know, is a critical factor in successful innovation.

Lastly, it would be unfair not to mention how Cubans have been able to keep all those beautiful vintage American cars on the road without any replacement parts. They have been custom machining and jerry-rigging parts for many decades. I can't wait to see how they leverage 3D printing technology in the years to come.

Ingenuity during crisis has emerged repeatedly throughout history. What's incredible is that the Cubans have been able to endure so many crises and survive. Naturally, it hasn't been easy, and most people are struggling. On the other hand, to live in a warm society with almost no drug addiction has its benefits. And Cubans don't have to pay for housing, education or health care.

Leading up to this trip, and hearing the news of the diplomatic breakthroughs, I was unsure about whether Cuba would be able to manage the deluge of Americans, the tourism explosion and the expectations of the populace. After this trip, however, I am much more confident that the Cuban and business leadership will be able to plan a thoughtful and slow transition in the years ahead -- a transition which will benefit both the U.S. and Cuba.

We Americans simply must have patience, take time to learn about Cuba's rich culture, understand its complex and fascinating political history from a 360-degree perspective and be open to learning from some of its brilliant innovations. We can expect both business and nonprofit collaborations and opportunities: some obvious, and some not so obvious. It will be a long-term process, not immediately lucrative.

We must forget our preconceptions that Cuba is a third-world, backward, poor island of 11 million people. It is not. Rather, in many ways, it is a modern miracle. I encourage you to visit, not as a cigar or rum aficionado nor a beach bum, but as a passionate student who wants to engage a people and culture, and simply learn. A historical opportunity this extraordinary will never present itself again.

James Barrood is the CEO of the NJ Tech Council, one of nation's largest tech trade associations, whose mission is to help businesses grow while supporting the region's tech, innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems. The views expressed here are his own and do not necessarily represent those of the NJ Tech Council.

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