Scale AI and Ponce Port Authority Partner to Create Smart Port Lab for AI-Enabled Infrastructure
Scale AI has announced a partnership with the Ponce Port Authority to create a Smart Port Lab at the Port of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The project aims to transform the site, which has previously been designated as a disaster area by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), into a hub for researching and building AI-enabled infrastructure that can be exported to shipping ports around the world.
Through an investment of $2 million, Scale will develop Smart Port infrastructure at the Port of Ponce, bringing a range of AI-enabled technologies to the island, including document processing, route optimization, remote operations, computer vision, and more. These technologies can be utilized across Puerto Rico and exported into new and emerging ports across the globe.
The project will generate jobs in the local community, helping members of the Ponce area to advance their careers and earning potential. The lab will also aid in the economic revitalization of greater Puerto Rico, helping to increase port activity and modernize shipping and transportation equipment.
The Port of Ponce has been hit by a series of natural disasters, including the 2020 earthquakes, Hurricane Maria, and most recently, Hurricane Fiona. The economic impact of these disasters has been significant, with assessments from H. Calero, a Puerto Rican Economic Consulting Firm, putting the impact to the local economy at $139 billion, potentially up to $159 billion. The Smart Port Lab offers an opportunity to partner with local Ponce officials to enhance operational processes at the port and support the economic revitalization of the region.
The lab will also help to unify siloed shipping and port data, develop AI-enabled, remote ship-to-shore operation capabilities, and enable the digital tracking of assets in and around the port, equipping terminal operators with complete visibility of their shipping logistics and supply chain networks from the comfort of a command center.
The project will help to modernize the shipping and transportation industry, where innovation has traditionally been stagnant. The Smart Port Lab builds on Scale's commercial success in the logistics, supply chain, and transportation industries, and will help to position Puerto Rico as a global logistics leader.
"The Smart Port Lab from Scale AI is poised to be a game-changer for economic development in Puerto Rico," said Ella Woger-Nieves, CEO of Invest Puerto Rico. "This initiative will help Ponce become a critical hub for inbound and outbound logistics by creating a cutting-edge AI-enabled facility, enhancing Puerto Rico's competitiveness and ability to attract more business and investment to the region. State-of-the-art technologies such as this one will further position the island as a global logistics leader."
The Smart Port Lab is an opportunity to partner with local Ponce officials to increase port activity and aid in the economic revitalization of greater Puerto Rico. The project will also create jobs in the Ponce area, with plans to expand the facility and increase hiring in the coming year. The initiative will be a first-of-its-kind, world-class Smart Port Lab that will help to position Puerto Rico as a leader in the global logistics industry.