Industries

As part of the DEDC strategy, we are promoting a diverse manufacturing economy, considering industries from various strategic groups. Those groups include: biotechnology, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, agroecology, aerospace, outsourcing of knowledge services, electronics, computing, engineering and construction, and apparel manufacturing. If your company seeks growth in any of these segments, contact us to learn more about our value proposition.

BIOTECHNOLOGY

Puerto Rico. The Bio Island.

Puerto Rico has a long legacy in the manufacture of medical and pharmaceutical devices. Organic products are also a growing segment of the island’s life science sector.

Growing agricultural biotechnology sector

Puerto Rico has also become a major center for agricultural biotechnology. Many seed companies have found the island to be fertile ground for R&D with our tropical climate, constant water supply, ease of trade with the U.S., attractive incentives and high quality agricultural science talent.

A highly educated workforce

Puerto Rico’s workforce has vast knowledge of GMP, FDA, and other global regulations, while the island’s university system generates a steady stream of new talent:

The Biotechnology Development and Training Center on the Mayagüez campus of the University of Puerto Rico is a public-private initiative with personalized training programs for students and employees with degrees in science and engineering, as well as for pharmaceutical professionals who wish to do the transition to science.
The University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez has offered a five-year degree in industrial biotechnology over the past few years, with programs at three other universities.
The University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences and the Ponce School of Medicine / Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico offer Ph.D. biomedical science programs.

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MEDICAL DEVICES

A mecca for manufacturing medical devices

Puerto Rico is home to several medical device manufacturing plants. Surgical and medical instruments, ophthalmic products, dental equipment and supplies, orthodontic products, dentures and appliances, laboratory appliances, and furniture. Medtronic, Abbott Medical Optics, and Coopervision are among the top international medical equipment and supplies companies that have found Puerto Rico to be a profitable place to manufacture.

Competitive and Experienced Workforce

With five decades of manufacturing medical devices and pharmaceuticals under its belt, Puerto Rico has a highly experienced workforce knowledgeable in GMP, FDA, and other global regulations.

PHARMACEUTICAL

An access point for pharmaceutical manufacturing

Puerto Rico is one of the most important biopharmaceutical manufacturing centers in the world, with more than 50 years of experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing and more than 30 years of experience in sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing. Puerto Rico is home to the main multinational pharmaceutical companies. Many companies operate more than one site on the island. Two dozen pharmaceutical products of different types are manufactured in Puerto Rico: antihypertensive drugs, tranquilizers, laxatives, anti-diabetic drugs, vasodilators, antibiotics and contraceptives, among many others. Competitive and experienced workforce. With five decades of pharmaceutical manufacturing under its belt, Puerto Rico has a highly experienced workforce knowledgeable in GMP, FDA, and other global regulations.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

The best players in the IT and communications segment have a strong presence in Puerto Rico. Fueling the growth of Puerto Rico in this sector:

Compliance with the International Arms Trafficking Regulation (ITAR): As a jurisdiction of the United States, Puerto Rico complies with this regulation that establishes that only US citizens can access defense and military technologies.
Highly Educated Workforce: Puerto Rico is home to two of the country’s 35 largest engineering programs at the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico and the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez campus. Every year, the island’s universities award more than 20,000 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) degrees in science, engineering and technology.
Manufacturing experience: Although Puerto Rico has the lowest labor costs of any region under U.S. jurisdiction, the island’s bilingual workforce is known for its high productivity with extensive experience in process development, automation , quality control / assurance, storage and more.

AEROSPACE

A magnet for the world’s leading aerospace companies

Puerto Rico has become a magnet for some of the world’s leading aviation and aerospace companies. With a long history of manufacturing experience and a strong portfolio of engineering talents, the island has attracted multi-million dollar investments from these and other major companies in recent years.

The Puerto Rico Advantage

Puerto Rico is well positioned to capture much of the research, innovation, engineering, service and production activity related to the aerospace sector. Beyond our industry incentives and federal tax programs, the island also offers the aerospace industry these benefits:

Compliance with the International Arms Trafficking Regulation (ITAR): As a jurisdiction of the United States, Puerto Rico complies with this regulation that establishes that only the citizens of the United States can access military and defense technologies, eliminating the outsourcing to foreign countries with low operating costs.
Suitability of subcontracting abroad: Puerto Rico meets all the criteria of the defense segment of the aerospace market for products manufactured in the United States.
MRO Opportunities: Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico’s former naval base, provides adequate runways and facilities for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), training, and other services.

Highly educated and skilled workforce

• Puerto Rico is home to two of the 35 largest engineering programs in the country at the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico and the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. Every year, the island’s universities award more than 20,000 degrees in science, engineering and technology.
• Although Puerto Rico has the lowest labor costs of any region under U.S. jurisdiction, the island’s bilingual workforce is known for its high productivity with extensive experience in process development, automation, control / warranty quality, storage and more.

AG BIO

The crops of the future are developed in Puerto Rico with continuous research with corn, soy, sorghum, sunflower, cotton, among others since 1983. This is one of the fastest growing sectors of our economy and Puerto Rico offers many advantages, among them – Year-round stable climate and environmental conditions, skilled and professional workforce, soil quality, proximity to the US, rapid transit system, academic agricultural research centers, and intellectual property protection.

THE AG-BIO ASSETS OF PUERTO RICO

A university with land grants (University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez) with a research community in agricultural sciences and several agricultural experimental stations throughout the island.
An Agricultural Biotechnology Research and Training Center (CEIBA) with a 22.00-square-foot facility.
Wide range of seed research and field trials at various company research stations.
Main R&D activities in agricultural products, including the early stages of development of corn hybrids and other commercial lines of field crops.
Due to weather conditions, 4-5 crops could be produced in a one year period, compared to the US with one crop per year.
Micropropagation and tissue culture facilities.

Experimental stations with plenty of space to install greenhouses and state-of-the-art facilities.
Support organizations such as the INDUNIV Research Consortium and the Puerto Rico Agricultural Biotechnology Industry Association

APPAREL MANUFACTURING

A magnet for clothing manufacturing

Offering a powerful combination of skilled, affordable labor and aggressive tax incentives, Puerto Rico is an ideal place for apparel manufacturing.

Powerhouse in military clothing and footwear

The military clothing, footwear and accessories industry in Puerto Rico has continued to grow steadily in the last 10 years. Since the Berry Amendment stipulates that all Defense Department purchases must originate in U.S. territory, Puerto Rico is an attractive destination for U.S. military apparel contracts.

Investigation and development

New innovations in the garment industry are occurring at a rate that has never been seen before due to research and development with the use of nanotechnology. For the Department of Defense, «smart textiles» are being developed in Puerto Rico that allow complex systems to be integrated into military combat uniforms discreetly, such as improved body armor, fire resistant equipment and new fibers that stop the growth of bacteria to limit infection in wounded soldiers.

ELECTRIC / ELECTRONICS

Large companies have identified Puerto Rico as the ideal place to establish their subsidiaries. Favorable tax rates, incentive programs, infrastructure, and a highly skilled workforce, such as engineers and other highly technical workers, facilitate the establishment of electronic manufacturing companies. The Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico and the campuses of the University of Puerto Rico, Bayamón and Mayagüez, provide education related to Computer Engineering and Electronic Engineering Technology

Electronic industry groups with a presence in public relations:

Navigation, measurement, electromedical and control instruments
Semiconductors and other electronic components
Computers and peripheral equipment
Communications team
Prerecorded compact disc, tape and disc playback