ICON Conference Forum Features Smartweave Founder Raj Malhotra as Thought Leader

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO (November 29, 2023)—Raj Malhotra, the founder and CEO of Smartweave, was a featured panelist at Puerto Rico's ICON Conference. ICON is a business, finance and thought leadership forum showcasing Puerto Rico’s unique business opportunities, competitive advantages and intellectual capital. It also serves as a platform to foster engaging conversations among a connected network of top experts and leaders, contributing to the creation of new and improved ideas. 

Malhotra explored the rationale behind selecting Puerto Rico as the base for Smartweave. Recognizing a distinctive gap in valuation within Puerto Rico's workforce and technology sectors, he aimed to capitalize on the opportunity to establish his venture on the island. He elaborated on how Smartweave's vision, as a bioconvergence platform operating at the nexus of artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, and advanced manufacturing, aligns strategically. "Our goal is to pioneer a new era of smart tissues," Malhotra explained. "These tissues will fundamentally transform the approach to treating various conditions, spanning from wound care and urological issues to cardiac patches and a spectrum of orthopedic applications." 

Speaking about the future of biomanufacturing, Malhotra emphasized a significant shift towards personalized devices and medicine. Smartweave intends to build 3D printer farms on the island, where precision printing technologies would manufacture Smartweave implants and other products. These printer farms would not only cater to Smartweave's needs but also serve hospitals, clinics, and other clients seeking personalized medical solutions. 

Malhotra's participation in the ICON Conference underscored Smartweave's commitment to advancing innovation and collaboration in Puerto Rico's burgeoning business landscape. He highlighted Puerto Rico's deep experience and expertise in GMP processes, asserting its potential to become the advanced manufacturing hub for the next generation. He noted that Puerto Rico's advantages extended beyond large factory-scale environments to agile setups tailored to specific indications or patient profiles, reflecting the future of manufacturing. "We saw Puerto Rico as a key player in shaping the future of biomanufacturing," Malhotra stated. "Its expertise and infrastructure aligned perfectly with our vision of personalized medicine and advanced manufacturing."