Public and private school students of all levels will have a greater chance of joining robotics competitions next school year as a result of a $100,000 sponsorship the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Corp. will grant the Puerto Rico Institute of Robotics, the agency announced Thursday.
PRIOR is the product of an alliance between the Puerto Rico Polytechnic University, NASA, the Education Department, Pridco, and the industry, whose goal is to stimulate the interest and knowledge among students in the disciplines of science, math, engineering and technology.
For the last three years, the organization has sponsored a robotics competition, gathering students from 100 schools throughout the island to select the winning team that will move on to the national robotics competition.
“It is Pridco’s ministerial duty to lead initiatives and provide resources to strengthen Puerto Rico’s competitiveness,” said José Ramón-Pérez Riera, chief of Economic Development and Commerce and Pridco. “Through this sponsorship, we are investing in the future of the island and in an economy based on knowledge and innovation.”
Pridco’s sponsorship will allow PRIOR to benefit approximately 7,000 students through various robotics-related forums and presentations. It will also enable about 500 students to join the 2011 Technological Challenge robotics competition. That means about twice as many students benefiting from PRIOR’s program in comparison to last year.
Business reporter with 30 years of experience writing for weekly and daily newspapers, as well as trade publications in Puerto Rico. My list of former employers includes Caribbean Business, The San Juan Star, and the Puerto Rico Daily Sun, among others. My areas of expertise include telecommunications, technology, retail, agriculture, tourism, banking and most other segments of Puerto Rico’s economy.
“We’re particularly interested in Puerto Rico because we see acceptance, and above all, interest in the implementation of [artificial intelligence (AI)] to impact the daily operation of businesses. Additionally, we see areas where [small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs)] in Puerto Rico can stand out, such as business performance and productivity, thanks to the implementation of AI.”
— Ineke Geesink, director for SMEs in Central America and the Caribbean at Microsoft, regarding a survey conducted by the company among SMEs in the Americas, which revealed a 61% positive view on AI’s impact.