ICT Cortex: ICT Cluster Calls on the Government of Montenegro to Ensure Compliance with Contractual Obligations with doMEn Company
Thanks to all the initiatives launched by the doMEn company in Montenegro, the country has become part of the regional and European ICT scene, and doMEn has become recognized as a sincere and dedicated partner of the Montenegrin IT community. “We appeal to the Government of Montenegro to reconsider the Decision on announcing a Public Call for the selection of an Agent for .me domain registration and to ensure compliance with contractual obligations with the doMEn company, which is bound by the principle of the rule of law,” states the ICT Cortex professional association regarding the announcement of the Public Call for the selection of an agent for .ME domain registration. This association, representing over 40 domestic and foreign ICT companies, emphasizes that the potential violation of contractual obligations by the Government of Montenegro jeopardizes the reputation of the Montenegrin business environment and sends a negative message to both existing and potential investors in the IT sector, especially considering that doMEn’s founders include some of the largest American IT companies and renowned leaders in the world of new technologies – Identity Digital, formerly Afilias, and GoDaddy.com LLC. In addition to building a recognized global brand, the doMEn company’s impact on the development of the ICT sector in Montenegro should not be overlooked. One of these impacts is evident in the establishment of the ICT cluster Cortex, of which the doMEn company is one of the founders. The cluster has directed its activities towards strengthening the IT sector and creating conditions for this industry to become the cornerstone of future economic development in Montenegro. Furthermore, it can be said that the pioneering endeavors of the Montenegrin IT community were made possible with the support, knowledge, and experience of renowned American investors through the assistance of the doMEn company. Given that one of the main problems of the IT industry is the lack of skilled professionals, the entire community strives to contribute to the creation of new talent through its courses and extracurricular programs. Since its establishment, the doMEn company has made a significant contribution in this regard, having invested over 1.4 million euros in socially responsible activities in its 15 years of existence. The company has supported 14 generations of primary and secondary school students through its free doMEn programming school. The company has also sponsored robotics competitions, and knowledge Olympiads, and has invested in creating content that directs children toward new technologies through its portal, STEMedukacija.me, and projects such as “My Future STEM Occupation.” At the same time, the association adds that the doMEn company is among the first representatives of the private sector that has actively worked on the development of the Montenegrin startup ecosystem for over a decade. The community regularly takes part in opportunities created by doMEn, with a notable example being the Spark.Me conference – one of the largest business and technology conferences in the region. Through competitions organized by the company, startup teams have had the opportunity, with its sponsorship, to showcase their solutions at the renowned Tech Crunch conference held annually in San Francisco. Thanks to all the initiatives launched by the doMEn company in Montenegro, the country has become part of the regional and European ICT scene, and doMEn has become recognized as a sincere and dedicated partner of the Montenegrin IT community. Thanks to projects initiated by doMEn in collaboration with the Vaso Aligrudić Electrotechnical School, Cortex members have continued to support the school and have secured funds of approximately 550,000 euros from the Regional Challenge Fund for the school’s modernization, which will be one of the largest non-repayable investments in a secondary vocational school in Montenegro. The fact that doMEn, as an export-oriented company with the best export brand in Montenegro, primarily contributes to the economy of Montenegro and its economic development through the export of products and services, totaling over 8 million euros in 2022, should not be overlooked. All these activities, along with many others carried out by the domestic IT sector, should contribute to strengthening the human and financial resources for the development of the IT sector in Montenegro, to attract and initiate new domestic and foreign investments. To function as such a system, support and understanding from the government and institutions are necessary to make Montenegro a desirable and safe country for IT investments, with the capacity to undertake such projects. As responsible partners of the Government of Montenegro in implementing development policies, ICT Cortex urges the need to work on improving and creating an attractive business environment for investments in the growing IT sector, where every investor and IT company will enjoy full respect for the rule of law. The resolution of all issues should be sought through adequate and timely dialogue. ICT CORTEX