The Weekly Journal posts article on Dr. Morey and Puerto Rico
https://www.theweeklyjournal.com/business/intergalactic-doctor-puerto-rico-can-become-the-next-silicon-island/article_776226dc-5299-11ea-9ccc-87366d7ffe1f.html
‘Intergalactic Doctor’: Puerto Rico Can Become the Next “Silicon Island”
Dr. José Morey to discuss island’s potential in STEM industries at upcoming investors’ conference
Ahead of the Puerto Rico ICON event next week, Dr. José Morey—an expert in various innovation fields—said that the island’s socioeconomic future lies in the development of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and businesses.
Puerto Rico ICON is an upcoming investors conference organized by Colectivo 360, a local real estate, investment and business consultancy firm dedicated to promoting the island as an international destination for investment and entrepreneurship.
As one of the guest speakers, Dr. Morey will highlight cities and countries that have successfully boosted STEM industries and added significant capital to their respective economies, and detail how Puerto Rico can incorporate a similar model. Although he holds residency in the U.S. mainland, Dr. Morey is deeply connected to his Puerto Rican roots and hopes that this event will help showcase the island’s potential to become a monolith in STEM.
Dr. Morey is regarded as the world’s ‘Intergalactic Doctor.’ During a dialogue with THE WEEKLY JOURNAL, the Puerto Rican professional explained that he received the nickname a few years ago during an interview due to his scientific and technological proficiency.
After graduating from the John Hopkins School of Medicine he journeyed into a successful career as a radiologist but eventually ventured to other fields to complement his STEM literacy—such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, aerospace, business intelligence, 3D printing, and more. In short, the colorful sobriquet is essentially the evolution of the ‘Renaissance Man,’ which is fitting, considering Dr. Morey’s influence.
“One of my role models is Leonardo Da Vinci, and I believe that it is very important to learn a little bit of everything, especially in science and art because I believe that nowadays in order to remain innovative it is especially crucial to have a combination of science, math, and art,” he said.
In this sense, one of the aspects that the acclaimed tech expert will discuss during the panel is the importance of revamping Puerto Rico’s education model in universities and primary schools. Given experts’ consensus that software engineering and computer coding will be the new forms of literacy, Dr. Morey affirmed that these building blocks of innovation must be incorporated in the education system from an early age. These, however, must be accompanied by a thorough engagement of the arts.
“The arts need to stay there because we need scientists who are creative… We need to create a myriad Steve Jobs who combine science, engineering and art to create new companies, to find solutions,” he affirmed, pointing to Albert Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Ada Lovelace as geniuses with creative and analytical backgrounds in areas of expertise that changed the world.
He observed that Israel is a country that is similar in size and population to Puerto Rico, yet roughly 15 or 20 years ago it integrated STEM to children’s education and now those branches comprise a sizable portion of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). In an article he wrote for Forbes, he noted that Israel has almost 1,000 startups in the field of AI alone and in the last five years the exits for these companies have averaged $121 million.
“It can be done here, but we need to focus on education and promote new companies with government incentives; focusing on one vision and one mission, which is to create a population of scientists and creating innovative companies on the island to boost everyone at the same time,” he stated.
Dr. Morey stressed that this education overhaul needs to be complemented with a healthy business environment that incentivizes innovation. He praised the efforts of various local organizations, startups and accelerators, such as Ciencia Puerto Rico, Parallel18, Piloto 151, and the Puerto Rico Science Trust.
Moreover, he lauded Acts 101, 20 and 22, as well as the federal Opportunity Zones program that was incorporated in the Puerto Rico Incentives Code. But while he acknowledged these mechanisms, he stressed that these served as building blocks on which the public and private sectors need to improve upon to foster a science-driven economy.
“The leaders of the future are scientists, technologists, engineers—those are the people who will be the leaders of the future. Here in Puerto Rico, we have the opportunity to be those leaders, and not just for Latin America or the Caribbean. Our island, the Island of Enchantment, can become the Silicon Island that can be a worldwide leader,” he stated, alluding to Silicon Valley, the world’s capital of high tech and innovation.
Puerto Rico ICON will take place on Feb. 25 at La Concha Resort in Condado, San Juan. For more information, visit http://www.prinvestorsconference.com.