The Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust (www.prsciencetrust.org) was established in 2004 under Public Law 214 as a private non-profit organization to encourage, promote innovation, transfer, and commercialization of technology, and the creation of high tech jobs in the technology sector. The PRSTRT© invest, facilitate and build capacity to continually advance Puerto Rico’s economy and its citizens well- being through innovation -driven enterprises, science, research, public health and technology. With the vision that Puerto Rico is a globally recognized innovation hub.
The Catalyzer Grants edition of the Research Grants Program funded 10 researchers in 2022. Pictured: Andreica Maldonado, Grants Program director; Hon. Manuel Cidre, Sec. Economic Development of Puerto Rico; Julie Dutil, researcher; Eng. Lucy Crespo, PRSTRT’s CEO.
There have been multiple challenges that the Trust and its programs have faced in the last decades of innovation and evolution. There is no doubt that these years have presented situations that require seeking new solutions. The pandemic was the latest push for adaptation, accelerating the adoption of technology and innovation at a rate that has never been seen before.
The interesting thing about crises is that they are the perfect scenario for innovation. There is no doubt that these years have presented situations that require seeking new solutions. A fascinating aspect of the projects, and undertakings that are born from the crisis is that, although they first address local issues, the problems they seek to solve are global. Since 2015, the organization is led by Eng. Lucy Crespo, its current Chief Executive Officer. Crespo, an executive with extensive experience in the technology industry, served as General Manager of Hewlett-Packard Puerto Rico for the Entrepreneurial Business, for 31 years. Graduated in Industrial Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, and Kellogg’s Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, Crespo directs the Trust’s mission to invest, facilitate and build capacity to continually advance Puerto Rico’s economy and its citizens well-being through innovation-driven enterprises, science, research, public health, and technology. All this with the vision that Puerto Rico is a globally recognized innovation hub.
Colmena66, a builder of the business ecosystem, presented the results of the report The State of the Business Community in Puerto Rico, which uses quantitative and qualitative data to inform what entrepreneurs undertake as they continue the entrepreneurship roadmap.
The employees and collaborators of the Trust have adapted to the new remote virtual work and living environment and have transformed the delivery and deployment of existing programs to a mainly virtual format, embracing Innovation. “Making this digital transformation possible has required a lot of commitment from our team, in addition to betting on cutting-edge platforms and applications, along with a solid cybersecurity framework, policies, and processes,” stated the Trust’s Chief Information Officer, César Piovanetti.
The Forward Research Summit is the principal research & innovation annual event led by the PRSTRT.
It would be practically impossible to enumerate all the achievements of the PRSTRT’s programs Trust in almost two decades of work and dedication. However, some of the impact metrics in the strategic pillars of Entrepreneurship, Research and Development, and Public Health are good examples of the scope and impact of the innovation of this organization.
PRSTR’s Executive Team: Doira Diaz Esq, General counsel & Administrator; Eng. Lucy Crespo, CEO; Gilberto Márquez, Chief Financial Officer; Jerry Meléndez, Chief Facilities Management Officer; Lupe Vázquez, CCMO; Cesar Piovanetti, CIO.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP PILLAR
Colmena66,the Trust entrepreneurial ecosystem building program, throughout the years, has improved its offering and consistently ranked among the top SourceLink Affiliate.Colmena has received 11,716 searches in its interactive web directory, has increased the resource partners to 260, has managed to keep 3072 entrepreneurs connected and issued 3072 referrals to provide support and guidance.
The Forward Center, a second building construction at Science City, will be ready at early 2023.
In the case of Parallel18, a global accelerator program that provides grants, mentoring, and business connections and investment to entrepreneurs from Puerto Rico to the world, they have managed to accelerate 336 companies with more than 620 jobs created since Its inception in 2015. This past year, they had 60 participating startups and reached $12,700,000M granted in grants. They grossed $189M in total revenue, of which $21.6M was local. 85% of companies continue to operate. The investment raised by Parallel118 alumni sums $189M of which $21.6M is from local companies.
Parallel18 has accelerated more than 300 startups since its creation in 2015.
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT PILLAR
As for the Research and Development pillar, the numbers speak for themselves. The Research Grants program awarded $13,549.478M in grants to 113 researchers. In addition to achieving an impressive ROI of $33,121,672M. More than 300 students were impacted, and more than 96 proposals were peer-reviewed.
Regarding patents, there were 60 patent applications from researchers, and 39 patents were obtained by researchers. Eight companies (8) were founded by fellow researchers and 18 SBIR/STTR proposals were awarded to fellow researchers. A total of 294 abstracts were received in this historic period.
For its part, the Technology Transfer Office continues to Increase Puerto Rico’s intellectual property marketing efforts. In 2022 this program in partnership with Universidad Central del Caribe, Ponce Health Science University, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Universidad Politécnica de Puerto Rico, and Sistema Universitario Ana G. Méndez, deployed a pilot program, called “EnTRUST”, to develop and deliver educational content, programs, and resources to increase the participation of researchers and inventors in Hispanic Serving Institutions. More than 26 disclosures were evaluated, 23 of which were from an inventor. Six new patents were filed and three (3) were granted. The commercialization of more than 27 technologies from its portfolio was achieved and four license agreements were closed.
Also, in the Research and Development pillar, just 5 years after the Puerto Rico Consortium for Clinical Investigation was founded, the program grew to 29 members/clinical research sites in Puerto Rico with more than 116 doctors and researchers incorporated in universities, hospitals, family practices and specialized research centers throughout the island, covering more than twenty therapeutic areas.
They brought more than 300 clinical trial opportunities to the island and executed 19 clinical trials during the last quarter in the areas of COVID-19, oncology, infectious diseases, pulmonology, cardiovascular, and dermatology. In addition to giving 2 training sessions for clinical research coordinators. A solution for long COVID-19 has been launching the Puerto Rico Patient Registry Network by rolling out DACIMA a patient registry platform for COVID-19 and other diseases, including a comprehensive patient education campaign.
The Center for Tropical Biodiversity is an effort to advance and develop products derived from Puerto Rico’s unique ecosystems. Pictured here is Elutherodactylus juanariveroi (commonly know as Coquí Llanero), the latest species of coquí to be discovered. The CTB has partnered with scientists in UPR Humacao for the identification of chemical compounds made by this amphibian to protect its eggs.
PUBLIC HEALTH PILLAR
The Trust has played a leading role in Public Health, staying at the center of the current events that have impacted the island. In Its third year of operation, the Puerto Rico Public Health Trust (PRPHT), continues to strengthen its role as a trusted advisor in the health sector in Puerto Rico. Working with the Puerto Rico Department of Health, and private entities, the program continues to advise on how Puerto Rico should address the COVID-19 pandemic and advance the mission of promoting and improving public health initiatives based on evidence, and provide ways to improve the economy in Puerto Rico. The PR Science Trust, through its public health programs, also saw and facilitated the increased use of technology in healthcare areas such as telemedicine and telehealth in the healthcare areas.
Also highlighted under the P.R. Public Health Trust is the expansion of the Community Health Promoters Program, which began a collaboration with the Medtronic Foundation in six communities and will now be deployed in 20 additional communities in Puerto Rico, including Vieques and Culebra. As if that were not enough, they have begun the implementation of the new PR COVID-19 Variant Surveillance initiative, which will enable Puerto Rico’s genomic surveillance capabilities and allow it to better address COVID-19 variants. The Trust will also host the Puerto Rico Surveillance Consortium to unify dispersed surveillance efforts.
The Puerto Rico Vector Control Authority (PRVCU) expanded its mosquito surveillance efforts to the dengue virus in Puerto Rico to reduce the risk of outbreaks. These were expanded to more municipalities, and a new super trap pooling method was implemented, resulting in increased testing capacity producing higher volume at a lower cost
The Puerto Rico Vector Control Authority (PRVCU) expanded its mosquito surveillance efforts to historical dengue virus in Puerto Rico to reduce the risk of outbreaks. These were expanded to more municipalities, and a new super trap pooling method was implemented, resulting in increased testing capacity producing higher volume at a lower cost. Now their coverage includes the U.S. Virgin Islands, and they offer laboratory services to the Marshall Islands.
To amplify these types of efforts, a Vector Management Association was created to bring together interest groups in the field and provide up-to date information and training on vector control practices. The Association currently has more than 100 members.
The Trust as an organization and brand has earned the respect and recognition as a reference organization that constantly and continuously works and evolves in favor of the development and growth of Puerto Rico. The Trust proudly celebrates 18 years of achievements by doing what it does best: investing, facilitating, and building capacity to continually advance Puerto Rico’s economy and the well-being of its citizens. The bar is very high, and the plan is to continue promoting companies driven by innovation, science, and technology in the areas of Entrepreneurship, Public Health, and Research and Development and to continue celebrating new projects and programs with important impact metrics for the country, guided by innovation.
As an optimistic person, I am always looking for those opportunities within the challenges we face. The commitment and passion of the leadership, associates, and Trustees of the Puerto Rico Science, Technology, and Research Trust are outstanding within our programs and the stakeholders we support. It’s impressive how the Trust has incorporated innovation and technology into all our programs to deliver on our mission,” — Eng. Lucy Crespo, PRSTRT CEO.
