The technology found in Puerto Rico is important to the island’s economic strategy. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the retail industry along with e-commerce in Puerto Rico has been growing and promoting online shopping. In addition, after the pandemic, many businesses leaned more toward e-commerce due to the internet’s ease, comfort, speed (Colón, 2020), and how much one saves from online shopping. Puerto Rico has also launched its new Costco e-commerce website to sell a wide variety of name-brand merchandise (Wagenheim, 2008) which provides an advantage to the technological e-commerce factor in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico also launched a new e-commerce website that sells authentic products accessible worldwide (Amay, 2022) and promotes opportunities for entrepreneurs. The technology that is found in Puerto Rico provides an advantage to the island’s economic strategy.
The technological factor of the textile and apparel industry in Puerto Rico interrelates with neighboring countries in efforts of the island’s economic strategy. The technological factors that show Puerto Rico’s growth for economic development are presented in a company called “Mysize” focusing on fashion and retail and launching the company’s innovation Firstlook Smart Mirror which provides a contactless checkout (To Present at the Sequire Investor Summit in Puerto Rico, 2023) and upgrading customers’ shopping experience. Another technological factor was the shoe industry where most shoe components are made in the Dominican Republic and the upper shoe portion is made in Puerto Rico making up twenty percent of US imports of leather shoes (Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico strengthen ties, 2015) furthermore, exemplifying the interrelationship between both the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico’s economic strategy. The second technological factor can be seen through designer Tokyo-based company Hanae Mori in a joint venture with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for a Cashmere collaboration with the use of technology from Beijing and the spin cashmere (Lockwood,1986) in efforts to support Puerto Rico’s production of cashmere sweaters. To conclude, the technological factor of the textile and apparel industry in Puerto interrelates with neighboring countries for the island’s economic strategy through e-commerce.
