Puerto Rico healthcare exports take off

The Puerto Rico Life Sciences Air Cargo Community is reporting steady growth of life sciences exports and has attracted new cargo capacity, according to figures provided by air cargo consulting, data and software specialist, Rotate.

Healthcare exports from the island are up 8% and commercial capacity is up 7% year on year, based on information from Rotate, which partners with the Community to provide an online dashboard tracking cargo movements to and from Puerto Rico.

Air cargo capacity on flights to Europe increased by 22%, whilst capacity on routes to South America was up 35% on last year.

The data shows a lower dependence on integrator capacity, down 2% on 2023 to 64%, while overall integrator capacity remained stable.

“The Rotate report offers essential insights into Puerto Rico’s air cargo landscape, providing our logistics community with the knowledge needed to stay informed and understand the dynamics of life sciences cargo movement,” said Varlin Vissepó, executive director and chairman of the Puerto Rico Life Sciences Air Cargo Community, launched last year.

He added: “This data empowers the Puerto Rico Life Sciences Air Cargo Community to make informed decisions that strengthen our collective position in the industry.

“We deeply value the strong support from the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DEDC), which has been instrumental in advancing our shared initiatives. Together, we are making significant strides in positioning Puerto Rico as a key player in global life sciences logistics.”

Rotate’s figures are presented on a dashboard on the Community’s website at prlifesciencehub.org, which is part of a series of initiatives to help companies achieve the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) certification, and a survey of warehousing facilities and trucking services to populate an online directory.

“The Rotate report is a testament to the significant progress made in establishing Puerto Rico as a premier life sciences airfreight hub in the Americas,” said Manuel Cidre, secretary of the DEDC.

“The Department of Economic Development and Commerce is proud to support the Puerto Rico Life Sciences Air Cargo Community in its efforts to expand life sciences exports and attract new air cargo capacity.

“Our collaborative initiatives — including the IATA CEIV certification program, the development of a comprehensive industry dashboard, and incentives to enhance climate-controlled warehousing —have been instrumental in driving these positive results. The data clearly demonstrates that Puerto Rico is on the right path to becoming a global leader in life sciences logistics.”

The Community is free-of-charge to join and open to any Puerto Rico-based company operating in the life sciences and, or, airfreight industry.

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