As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Commerce identified regional centers primed for technological innovation and job creation.
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Representative Nydia Velázquez (D-NY-7), and Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi announced that the PRBio Tech Hub, led by the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust, was selected by the Biden-Harris administration as one of thirty-one technology and innovation hubs across the United States. The new Tech Hubs program is an economic development initiative designed to drive regional innovation and job creation by strengthening a region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize, and deploy technology that will advance American competitiveness. The PRBio Tech Hub will build on Puerto Rico’s strength in biopharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing and aims to advance the region as a global leader in biotechnology to detect, treat, and cure diseases. This Tech Hub will leverage Puerto Rico’s existing assets – including expertise in advanced manufacturing and strong pharmaceutical development partnerships – to make the U.S. biotechnology supply chain more resilient and help our country meet tomorrow’s public health and national security challenges.
“With this designation, Puerto Rico is well on its way to becoming a global leader in biopharmaceuticals and biotechnology — rapidly growing sectors that are critical to our national security. Already considered the ‘Medicine Cabinet of the United States,’ Puerto Rico is home to key infrastructure supporting medical device manufacturing and pharmaceutical development, which helped the island earn this designation and will help attract significant federal funding for research, new jobs, and economic development. I’m proud to have fought to pass the CHIPS and Science Act to create this program, and I’ll keep fighting to bring federal resources to Puerto Rico to catalyze its economic development,” said Senator Gillibrand.
“I’m thrilled by the Biden administration’s announcement that one of the 31 new technology hubs created under the CHIPS & Science Act will be located in Puerto Rico,” said Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez. “The new tech hub will help the island’s burgeoning biotechnology industry continue to grow and generally foster innovation. Amid the economic and financial challenges that the territory faces, this action is especially appropriate. I applaud President Biden and members of the administration for their commitment to creating job opportunities for Puerto Ricans and ensuring the island plays a prominent role in the U.S. economy.”
“This Tech Hub Strategic Development grant is a great complement to our strategy of strengthening our position as a global leader in the development of emerging technologies tied to the biosciences industry. This award will strengthen our technology and innovation ecosystem and will accelerate the development, manufacturing and distribution of biotechnology solutions. I thank the Biden-Harris Administration for its continued support and confidence in our work,” said Governor Pierluisi.
The Tech Hubs program was authorized by the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, a key part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, which he signed into law in August 2022. The program invests directly in burgeoning, high-potential U.S. regions and aims to transform them into globally competitive innovation centers.