
Transformation Digital Twin to Physical Twin – AI Archenemies Talent and Wet Labs
The Core Issue: Wet Labs as the Bottleneck
As the article highlights, AI’s ability to create highly accurate “digital twins” of potential breakthroughs in biotech and pharmaceuticals is only valuable if those digital discoveries can be validated and brought into reality.
Physical facilities required such as wet labs. clinical and commercial spaces to run experiments, manufacture drugs, and conduct quality control. Unfortunately, the global supply of cutting-edge wet lab space has not kept pace with the exponential growth of AI-driven innovations.
AI-fueled discovery has created a bottleneck for talent and space as a result creates an uneven innovation landscape.
Regions that cannot offer sufficient lab infrastructure will fall behind, while those that do especially with streamlined regulatory pathways, cGMP know-how, and robust tax incentives can become global science hubs.
With over 60 years of pharmaceutical manufacturing expertise, a robust STEM talent pipeline, and compelling incentives like Act 60 and R&D tax credits, can the Department of Economic Development of Puerto Rico, along with Invest Puerto Rico, leverage this early advantage grounded in the island’s recognized scientific know-how and infrastructure to tackle the current supply chain crisis in AI-driven drug discovery and biopharma development?
Why Puerto Rico?
Below are three primary reasons why Puerto Rico is uniquely positioned to address this supply chain crisis in AI-driven drug discovery and biopharma development.
1. A Legacy of Pharmaceutical Expertise
60+ Years of Pharma Manufacturing Experience Puerto Rico has been a central hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing for decades. Nearly every major pharmaceutical company Amgen, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and many others—has operated manufacturing facilities on the island. This legacy has forged:
- Regulatory Know-How: Puerto Rico-based facilities are well-versed in FDA regulations and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
- Existing Infrastructure: The island already hosts clean rooms, production lines, and quality-control environments that can be adapted for cutting-edge wet lab work.
- Quality & Consistency: An established track record of delivering high-quality pharmaceutical products to global markets.
2. A Robust Talent Pipeline
STEM-Focused Universities & Skilled Workforce Puerto Rico’s university system—led by the University of Puerto Rico, the Interamerican University, and various specialized institutions—produces a steady flow of STEM graduates and scientists each year. This is not happenstance but the result of:
- Historical Alignment: With over 60 years in pharmaceuticals, universities have tailored their curricula to meet industry needs.
- Interdisciplinary Approach: Programs in chemistry, biology, engineering, and data science now intermingle, providing the kind of cross-functional talent critical to AI-driven wet lab work.
- High Retention Potential: Many graduates seek advanced career opportunities locally—particularly if they can conduct cutting-edge research in homegrown facilities like OcyonBio.
3. Competitive Incentives: Act 60 + R&D Tax Credits
Government-Supported Innovation Environment Puerto Rico’s Act 60 (the consolidated tax incentive law) has significantly boosted R&D activities and attracted biotech and pharma investments. Coupled with new R&D tax credits, companies can reduce construction, operational, resource, and equipment costs by up to 50%, dramatically lowering the barrier to establishing world-class lab facilities on the island. Key benefits include:
- Tax Incentives for R&D: Reduced corporate tax rates, credits, and exemptions designed to lower the cost of operating a cutting-edge lab in Puerto Rico.
- Investor-Friendly Environment: Act 60 and additional credits foster both local and global partnerships. Venture capital firms and biotech accelerators find Puerto Rico appealing due to tax-friendly status and simplified compliance for U.S. markets.
- Ecosystem Enrichment: By offering these incentives, Puerto Rico can support the construction of new wet labs and the expansion of existing facilities, drawing more AI-driven biotech firms and scientific talent to the region.
Ocyonbio Home to Wet, Clinical and Commercial space and infrastructure.
- 200,000+ Sq. Ft. of Customizable Wet Labs OcyonBio offers an extensive 200,000 square feet of customizable lab space designed to support the entire lifecycle of drug development—from discovery through commercialization. This turnkey infrastructure dramatically accelerates the “in silico to in vitro” pipeline, providing immediate, state-of-the-art facilities where AI-driven discoveries can be validated in record time.
- 60 million Units of Sterile Manufacturing Capacity To ensure a smooth transition from small scale research batches to commercial-scale production, OcyonBio is bringing online capacity to produce 60 million units of sterile injections for syringes, vials, and cartridges. Utilizing both small-volume and high-speed machines, OcyonBio can handle early-stage discovery lot sizes as well as large-scale commercial batches, effectively closing the gap between R&D and full market deployment.
- Integrated Supply Chain Thanks to Puerto Rico’s history in pharma, supply chain partners packagers, quality controllers, logistics providers—are already located on the island. This ecosystem further reduces bottlenecks in production and distribution.
- Streamlined Regulatory Pathways With the FDA’s presence and a long history of compliance, Puerto Rico is well-positioned to navigate the regulations that AI-driven medical innovations will face. Familiarity with FDA processes can significantly reduce the time-to-market for new therapies.
- Talent Accelerator By establishing expansive wet lab hubs, Puerto Rico can absorb its highly trained local talent—keeping the intellectual capital on the island while simultaneously attracting researchers and scientists from around the world.
- Cost-Saving Advantage Thanks to robust R&D tax credits, biotech and pharma companies can cut construction and operational costs nearly in half, facilitating more rapid expansion and innovation. This financial advantage accelerates the pace at which AI discoveries can move from digital twin to commercial product.
Potential Solutions requires a VILLAGE
- Public-Private Partnerships Governmental bodies, local universities, and private industry (including large tech investors and biotech giants) should co-invest in expanding existing wet lab infrastructure. This collective approach mitigates financial risks and ensures alignment with both commercial and academic R&D goals.
- Regulatory Sandboxes & Flexible Compliance Just as AI innovators advocate for regulatory sandboxes, Puerto Rico could adopt a similar model for wet-lab-based innovation—offering agile compliance pathways that still maintain rigorous safety and quality standards.
- Global Collaboration Hubs Building out multinational innovation hubs (with partners like Google, Microsoft, or philanthropic efforts by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) can transform Puerto Rico into a central node for AI-driven biotech. By coupling AI-savvy institutions with world-class wet labs, Puerto Rico can become a global testbed for new discoveries.
Ocyonbio – Leveraging Puerto Rico Talent and Incentives Provides Speed and Financially Smart Way enable AIs promised speed and discovery of cures
AI’s promise to transcend time, scientific know-how, and geography hinges on solving physical bottlenecks, particularly in wet labs. Puerto Rico’s deep-rooted pharmaceutical heritage, well-trained STEM graduates, and attractive tax and regulatory incentives provided under Act 60—augmented by generous R&D tax credits—combine to create an ideal environment to unleash the next wave of biotech breakthroughs.
Companies like OcyonBio are already setting the stage with 200,000 square feet of customizable wet labs and a 60-million-unit capacity for sterile manufacturing, enabling seamless scalability from early-stage discovery to commercial production. By strategically investing in facilities, fostering a skilled workforce, and continuing to innovate on the regulatory front, Puerto Rico can position itself as a global catalyst for AI-powered drug discovery.
In short, Puerto Rico is more than a scenic destination; it is a proven pharmaceutical powerhouse with the infrastructure, talent, and financial incentives (including up to 50% cost reductions through R&D tax credits) to accelerate AI’s leap from code to clinical impact. If we seize this opportunity—and address the wet lab bottleneck head-on—Puerto Rico could very well be the epicenter that helps move AI from possibility to transformative reality in human health.