This work is intended to depict the status of R&D activity in Puerto Rico and emphatically stress the need to focus on increased R&D activity in order to strengthen the local economy in its efforts to establish and maintain sustainable development. The information and ideas here presented are not exclusive to Puerto Rico but are applicable to any economic environment throughout the world. In particular it will be argued that Puerto Rico needs to increase patent activity with global marketing opportunities to over 1500 patents per year in order to maintain economic growth comparable to each of the 50 states of the United States of America.