A Magnet for the World's Top Aerospace Companies
Virtually overnight, Puerto Rico has become a magnet for some of the world's leading aviation and aerospace companies. With a long history of manufacturing expertise and a strong pipeline of engineering talent, the island has attracted multimillion-dollar investments by these and other major firms during recent years:
- Pratt & Whitney is performing engineering design and analysis for the jet turbine power plants of several aircraft from its Infotech Aerospace Service's division.
- Lockheed Martin has more than 60 employees conducting software support services from Puerto Rico for its global operations.
- Honeywell Aerospace employs more than 400 people in its shared services center that supports the company's global defense and space business.
- Hamilton Sundstrand manufactures aircraft climate control and electronic systems at its Puerto Rico plant, employing more than 900 workers.
- AXON Group and Pratt & Whitney established a world-class SAP services center that will create 300 jobs.
- Florida Turbine and ESSIG Research both have major operations on the island.
The Puerto Rico Advantage
Puerto Rico is well-positioned to capture a large share of activity in aerospace-related research, innovation, engineering, service and production. Beyond our industrial incentives and federal tax programs, the island also offers the aerospace industry these benefits:
- International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) Compliance: As a U.S. jurisdiction, Puerto Rico complies with this regulation that states that defense and military-related technologies may only be accessed by U.S. citizens, eliminating outsourcing to foreign countries with low operating costs.
- Overseas Outsourcing Suitability: Puerto Rico meets all the criteria from the defense segment of the aerospace market for U.S.-made products.
- MRO Opportunities: Roosevelt Roads, Puerto's Rico's former Navy base, provides suitable runway and facilities for airplane maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), training and other services.
Highly Educated, Skilled Workforce
Puerto Rico is home to two of the top 35 largest engineering programs in the nation at the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico and the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. More than 20,000 degrees in science, engineering and technology are awarded each year by colleges on the island.
Although Puerto Rico boasts the lowest labor costs of any region under U.S. jurisdiction, the island's bilingual workforce is well known for its high productivity with significant expertise in process development, automation, quality control/assurance, warehousing and more.
