- Women are 55% of the Coyol Free Zone workforce
March. Thousands of women in administrative and operational positions work daily in the 28 companies based in Coyol Free Zone, from where 63% of the total medical devices produced in Costa Rica is exported to the world.
During the last 13 years, an ecosystem for global life science manufacturers has been set-up in Coyol Free Zone, where 16,000 employees demonstrate the value of Costa Rican human talent. 55% are women who willingly travel daily to El Coyol in Alajuela from different parts of the country, to generate an income for their homes. Likewise, they perform all kinds of roles within the companies and hold high management positions.
Lauren Shirley, General Manager in Segex, points out that, “an empowered woman has the ability to manage a state of mind, both emotional and professional, that allows her to lead environments with empathy and sensitivity, guaranteeing the fulfillment of goals, and at the same time, attention to detail, commitment and excellence in her work.”
For his part, Carlos Wong, CEO of Coyol Free Zone points out that, “the accelerated growth of the life science industry in recent years in Costa Rica is attributed to the skilled and committed workforce available to multinational manufacturers, shared services and research and development operations in the country where men and women participate equally. ”
Free Zone of Opportunities
Coyol Free Zone’s workforce is made up of a population of 71% that comes mostly from the province of Alajuela, followed by 19% from Heredia and 7% from San José.
43% of the employees at the park range from 25 to 35 years of age and 31% from 18 to 24 years, which allows young people to have job opportunities where they can opt for the different educational programs offered at the park as well as continue studying and moving up in the companies.