Pridco grants $100K to robotics institute
March 10, 2011
 |
| Hundreds of students participated in last year’s robotics competition. (Credit: © Mauricio Pascual) |
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.
Author Details
Author Details
Business reporter with 29 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.
