Puerto Rico's Manufacturing Renaissance: Building the Next Generation of American Industry
Every crisis creates an opportunity to rethink the future.
When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global supply chains, it exposed the risks of relying on overseas manufacturing for products critical to national security and public health. At the same time, it highlighted Puerto Rico’s unique strategic advantages. With more than seventy years of manufacturing expertise—particularly in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing—the island was uniquely positioned to play a larger role in strengthening America’s domestic supply chain.
That realization became one of the central themes explored in my book, Why Puerto Rico Now: A Masterplan for Resurgence, Resiliency, and Long-Term Economic Growth. While unprecedented federal reconstruction funding and competitive tax incentives have helped accelerate Puerto Rico’s recovery, long-term prosperity cannot depend solely on disaster relief or temporary incentives. Sustainable economic growth requires a diversified economy built upon innovation, manufacturing, entrepreneurship, technology, and private investment.
One of the leaders helping shape that conversation is Robert Crager, whose decades of experience in Puerto Rico’s manufacturing sector provide a unique perspective on the island’s future. In this interview, we discuss Puerto Rico’s historic role as a manufacturing powerhouse, the opportunities created by the reshoring of critical industries, workforce development, and why advanced manufacturing continues to be one of the island’s greatest competitive advantages.
As Puerto Rico enters a new era of investment, manufacturing represents far more than an economic sector—it is a foundation for resilience. Combined with growth in hospitality, technology, renewable energy, life sciences, and infrastructure, manufacturing has the potential to help create a more diversified and self-sustaining economy capable of generating prosperity for generations to come.