Articles
Puerto Rico’s healthcare system is a paradox of strength and fragility. With one of the highest insurance coverage rates in the US (around 94 percent) and a long tradition of medical excellence, it has also faced persistent funding gaps and a growing exodus of talent. Now, new federal policy shifts risk deepening these vulnerabilities. Yet,…
Across over 50 interviews with Puerto Rican government and industry stakeholders, energy supply was continuously identified as the main barrier to growth. Puerto Rico’s ageing, centralised, and fossil fuel–dependent power system remains vulnerable to disruption from hurricanes and other natural events. However, new investments in renewables, battery storage, and decentralised co-generation – led by both…
With over 80,000 people directly and indirectly employed in Puerto Rico’s biosciences sector, the island relies heavily on a skilled and stable workforce to maintain its competitive edge. But it faces a tough talent landscape: the median age of the local workforce is rising, and post-hurricane migration, combined with global competition, has deepened shortages in…
Can Puerto Rico capitalise on the Trump administration’s “make in America” push? President Donald Trump wants to bring manufacturing back to America. The last 40 years of globalisation and free trade saw huge chunks of the US supply chain for all kinds of goods, including essential medicines and medical devices, outsourced to lower-cost destinations…
Long celebrated for its world-class pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing, Puerto Rico is now leveraging this strong foundation to nurture a new era of research and development. Rather than shifting away from production, the island is integrating R&D directly into its manufacturing operations — from pilot plants and small-scale prototyping to advanced product development. With…
The largest pharmaceutical hub in the Americas, Puerto Rico currently exports to 120 countries, accounting for nearly USD 53 billion in weekly biopharma shipments. Remarkably, this small Caribbean island out-exports all individual US states, shipping out over twice as much as second-placed Indiana. The life sciences industry is central to this success story, accounting for nearly…
Spending almost 30 years working for a single company is almost unheard of in today’s life science industry, where executives chop and change between firms with bewildering frequency. However, in CooperVision – one of the world’s leading soft contact lens manufacturers with Puerto Rico at its beating heart – Rolando Torres seems to have…
Despite being a small island in the Caribbean, measuring just 100 by 35 miles, Puerto Rico has long punched above its weight as an industrial powerhouse. Already a leading producer of everything from blockbuster medicines to high-tech medical devices, how has it got to this point and what comes next? Four industry leaders from the…
In cell and gene therapy, where R&D and manufacturing are inseparable, Puerto Rico’s strong biopharma base makes it an attractive option for CGT companies. The first mover in this space is CytoImmune. Founded in 2017 by a cadre of Big Pharma veterans and established in Puerto Rico in 2020, CytoImmune is developing immune-based cancer…
