Astronautics & Space Commerce Roundtable

The Puerto Rico Space Foundation and Puerto Rico's Department of Economic Development and Commerce are hosting a strategic roundtable to align the island’s space roadmap with the U.S. National Space Policy. The event will explore three key pillars:

• Economic Integration: Linking the local economy with the global space supply chain by assessing Puerto Rico's commercial space capabilities, limitations, and key development priorities.

  
  

• Federal Incentives: Connecting local government, industry, academia, investors, and community stakeholders with U.S. government initiatives, resources, and incentives designed to foster commercial space growth.

  
  

• Strategic Growth: Providing practical insights into the modern U.S. commercial space economy, highlighting opportunities to participate, and identifying critical needs across workforce development, infrastructure, capital, manufacturing, and federal coordination.

Featured Participants & Perspectives

Defense & Federal Innovation

Robert Perez-Alemany is a Program Manager in the Space Portfolio at the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), Office of the Secretary of Defense. Since joining DIU in 2024, he has spearheaded joint initiatives with defense leaders and commercial innovators—including Northrop Grumman, BlackSky, Firefly, and Avalanche Energy—to deliver advanced technologies to the Warfighter. His work spans partnerships with NASA, DARPA, Space Systems Command, and the Air Force and Naval Research Labs on high-impact projects ranging from tactical imaging to nuclear fusion and novel propulsion systems. Previously, he served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics & Nuclear Engineering at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Commercial & Ecosystem Strategy

David L. Beck is the Principal of Space Technologies LTD, a consultancy focused on building and integrating deep-tech, sustainable systems across the dual-use (commercial and defense) space sectors. He also serves as a Strategic Advisor and U.S. Space Business Consultant for NordSpace Corp., a Canadian satellite manufacturing and launch services company. A former U.S. Space Force leader with over 30 years of engineering experience, his expertise spans electric vehicle design, wide-body aircraft auxiliary power systems, and space launch technologies. He holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Southern Mississippi and an MBA in Marketing with an emphasis in Global Sustainment.