The EnTRUST Life Science Accelerator is a game-changing initiative powered by a strategic partnership between the Puerto Rico Science, Technology & Research Trust (PRSTRT) and Columbia University’s Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. Our mission is to ignite the next generation of life sciences breakthroughs and provide the necessary entrepreneurial tools, support, and funding to accelerate research commercialization.

We focus on empowering Puerto Rico-based scientists by helping them transform their innovative research into impactful commercial products, therapeutics, and medical devices.

Our commitment is to turn your ideas into reality with world-class mentorship, entrepreneurial training, and funding.

“One of the greatest challenges in innovation is not discovery, but what comes next. The space between early-stage research and real-world application is where many promising ideas are lost. Translational funding is essential because it provides the resources, structure, and support needed to move those discoveries forward and position them for impact.”

“Entrepreneurship in science requires vision, but also the ability to navigate uncertainty and turn knowledge into action.” Market entry demands more than science—it requires aligning regulatory, commercial, and IP strategies in one coherent plan.

The EnTRUST 2025 Life Sciences Accelerator Award Ceremony was more than the conclusion of a cohort—it was a clear signal of Puerto Rico’s innovation ecosystem advancing with purpose. At the Technology Transfer Office (TTO), we work shoulder-to-shoulder with researchers from Puerto Rico’s universities, institutions, and research institutes to identify, evaluate, protect, market, and transfer their most promising research discoveries to the private sector for commercialization and to benefit the public. EnTRUST is central to that mission, designed to help teams bridge the path from science to commercialization with structure, mentorship, and strategy.

This fifth cohort underscores that progress. Five research teams were awarded $75,000 each ($375,000 total) to continue developing their technologies after completing a 12-week accelerator.

Beyond funding, the program equips them with commercialization training, regulatory and IP guidance, and access to a robust innovation network.

In 2024, EnTRUST supported seventeen research teams, comprising twenty-seven (27)researchers from four universities. External experts reviewed final proposals and team pitches, resulting in 5 teams receiving awards of $75,000 each, totaling$375,000. National Science Foundation’s (NSF)Regional Innovation Engines.

We continued our effort under a $1 million Type-1 award for “Advancing biopharmaceutical technologies and manufacturing practices (PR)” to engage public and private collaborators in cross-sector partnerships and stakeholders to align and propose longer-term solutions such asuse-inspired R&D, translation innovation into practice, and workforce development.