Background
On May 11, 2018, the Puerto Rico Information Technology Cluster (PRITC) hosted the first-ever PRITC Innovation Awards ceremony, corresponding to the year 2017. This was a momentous achievement, as it positioned the local IT sector to help spearhead the future of the Puerto Rican economy, and afforded its participants the opportunity to celebrate excellence and technological prowess. PRITC bestowed five awards upon five companies and organizations that, in a year during which Puerto Rico was severely impacted by Hurricane María (2017), were able to advance their IT products, services, processes or platforms with great success.
The Awards
Intellectual Property (IP) Award
Presented to the individual or organization that, over the previous year, developed the piece of IT intellectual property deemed to be the most innovative, ingenious, influential, practical and/or commercially viable
IT Project of the Year
Presented to the organization that, over the previous year, completed the IT development or deployment project deemed most innovative, technologically elaborate, influential and successful
Tech Exporter of the Year
Presented to the locally based individual or organization that is most successfully engaged in the process of exporting innovative technological products and/or services out of Puerto Rico
Tech Startup of the Year
Presented to the organization that, over the previous year, completed the IT development or deployment project deemed most innovative, technologically elaborate, influential and successful
Societal Impact Award
Presented to the locally based individual or organization that, through the use of innovative IT products, services, processes or platforms, has had the most significant positive impact on the advancement and well-being of human society
Recognizing the inherent speed at which the industry normally develops and introduces technological change, PRITC plans to continue celebrating the PRITC Innovation Awards on an annual basis.
2019 Winners
IT Project of the Year
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Winner: Rock Solid Technologies
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Description: For its successful exportation of proprietary and third-party software licenses and services, to markets such as Mississippi, Barbados, Panama, Turks & Caicos Islands and Dominican Republic. Last year exports were in excess of $5MM, and growth is expected at 20% for the coming year.
Tech Exporter of the Year
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Winner: Popular, Inc.
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Description: For its project to use Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technology in order to deploy a number of bots that performed several repetitive activities and achieve productivity improvements in excess of 20,000 hours. Popular did this by leveraging on cloud technology and implementing a governance model that enables non-IT personnel to have a more direct impact on bot design, development and deployment.
Societal Impact Award
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Winner: Puerto Rico Science, Technology & Research Trust
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Description: For its deployment and use of GIS and cloud computing platforms in order to empower clean water access and mosquito control initiatives that directly benefit Puerto Rican society. Such initiatives are scheduled to expand beyond Puerto Rico and to the US Virgin Islands.
2018 Winners
Intellectual Property (IP) Award
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Winner: Akcelita
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IP: Artificial Sensing
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Description: System for tracking and annotating multiple objects in a 3D environment
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Comments: Applications include tracking movement of individuals in enclosed offices, like bank branches, in order to better model, predict and service future needs
IT Project of the Year
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Winner: Asociación de Salud Primaria de Puerto Rico
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Project: PR Primary Care Association Network (PRPCAN)
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Description: Implementation of a network connecting all Centros de Salud Primaria 330 in PR, thus improving access and use of health information between them
Tech Exporter of the Year
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Winner: eliteBco, LLC
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Description: Located in Washington DC, provides business technology services, particularly in document digitization, business process automation and financial management systems (big client is the US Federal Government)
Tech Startup of the Year
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Winner: Beacon MD (Agordia)
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Description: Develops mobile applications that enable and enhance connections between patients and physicians, and in between physicians, in order to enhance medical care
Societal Impact Award
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Winner: Map Plus, LLC
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Description: MAPSTAT, an application developed to meet the requirements of the PR Telecommunications Regulatory Board’s response to Hurricane Maria, which eventually became a critical tool for multiagency use in order coordinate recuperation efforts
The Fine Print
The PRITC Board of Directors recognizes that, due to its nature, an initiative like the PRITC Innovation Awards entails numerous detailed rules and conditions. Therefore, PRITC requires that all parties wishing to submit a nomination accept and agree to the conditions established in the Conditions of Participation document. This will be done electronically as part of the nomination submission process.