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Este informe no está disponible en español. PuertoRicoWOW News Service'San Antonio Technological Park' Inaugurated In AguadillaBy Marialba Martinez and Proviana Colon DiazOctober 11, 2001 Hewlett-Packard inaugurated a contract manufacturing industrial park that will accommodate Nypro Puerto Rico and Manufacturers Services Ltd., two of its contract manufacturers, in addition to a new 86,500-square-foot high-technology building at its Aguadilla complex Thursday. Complying with one of her campaign promises for the development of the Puerto Rico Technoeconomic Corridor of the West, Gov. Sila Calderon accompanied by HP executives inaugurated the "San Antonio Technological Park". The technological park is comprised of a series of clusters formed by industrial groups with common interests that unite to create major economic activity on the island. Last year, HP announced it was investing $50 million in the expansion of its facilities and the new contract manufacturing site. The Puerto Rico Industrial Development Co. (Pridco) also granted $60 million in construction and infrastructure incentives. HP's new building will incorporate the company's additional computer products line in addition to its Research & Technology Center. In December, the company will launch a new server, which was developed by a group of engineers in Puerto Rico. Nypro and MSL, which were built in less than one year, will jointly produce plastic inkjet cartridges for HP. Nypro currently has 160 employees and MSL close to 100, which the companies are committed to expanding to approximately 350 each within two years. In addition, 35 additional jobs have already been created by EM Group, the technology park's maintenance company. "What these corporations are doing here in alliance with the Puerto Rico government is something extraordinary, that I don't even think we are realizing, because this is the seed of what Puerto Rico had never had - a sector dedicated totally to the development of the most advanced technology," Calderon said. Aside from the cooperation between the government and the private sector, a most important factor will also be taking part in this initiative - the academy. The vicinity of the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus to the zone makes the area most attractive for jobs, Calderon said. Lucy Crespo, general manager for HP's Computer Division, and Chiqui Santos, who holds the same position at the company's Printing Products Division, stated that the contract manufacturers will attract new product lines to Puerto Rico, expand production on actual products, and reduce operating costs for HP. "Hewlett Packard decided to subcontract part of its ink cartridge manufacturing. Here in the island, we had the challenge to implement in an accelerated manner this sort of strategy so that the availability of our products would not be affected," Santos said. Gov. Sila Calderon also announced that the Economic Development & Commerce Department and the non-profit Puerto Rico TechnoEconomic Corridor Corp. (PR Tec) will host a techno-economic summit in conjunction with the Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association. The event will take place Nov. 10 and 11 in Mayaguez.
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