Developing talent for high-value industries—such as Life Sciences, Smart Manufacturing, and Semiconductors—is one of Coyol Free Zone’s primary commitments.
With a 19-year track record, this industrial park has established itself as one of Costa Rica’s leading hubs for attracting and developing specialized talent, bringing together 34 companies that require operational, technical, and professional profiles aligned with the global standards of these key sectors.
“At Coyol Free Zone, we have built a hub where companies can access the highly skilled talent they need to establish and expand increasingly specialized operations. Quality employment reflects these companies’ ability to attract and develop technicians and professionals with the skills required by the high-value-added industries that drive Costa Rica’s economy, reaffirming the Park’s role as a space that connects talent, innovation, and career development opportunities,” said Jorge Monge Víquez, Managing Director of CODE Development Group, co-developer of Coyol Free Zone.
This effort aligns with findings from the Observatorio Laboral de Profesionales (OLAP) of the Consejo Nacional de Rectores (CONARE), whose Radiografía Laboral 2025 highlights strong employment outcomes across several STEM disciplines—Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics—and the importance of education and training aligned with labor-market needs.
Coyol Free Zone accounts for 54.9% of Costa Rica’s Medical Device exports, with annual exports totaling US$4.4 billion, and has established itself as an important driver of quality employment and career development.
Today, the companies operating in the Park directly employ 25,422 people, representing 41.75% of the workforce in the Medical Device industry nationwide. These positions include operational roles (71%), technical roles (9%), professional positions (17%), and management and director-level roles (3%). In addition, these companies are estimated to generate 5,000 indirect jobs and significant local business linkages through their operations.
Talent that drives the future
These companies manufacture highly sophisticated, high-value-added products for markets including the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Asia, creating new opportunities for specialized talent and increasing demand for technicians and professionals with more advanced knowledge and skills.
In this context, companies operating at Coyol Free Zone consistently require talent across different levels of specialization to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving industry. Among the most sought-after positions are manufacturing operators; technicians in precision mechanics, industrial maintenance, and electromechanics; as well as specialists in regulatory affairs and technical documentation. Demand is also growing for supervisors and coordinators in areas such as production, quality, and logistics.
Monge explained that candidate preparation extends beyond formal academic education, with particular importance placed on developing soft skills. “Companies are looking for people with complementary skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork in multicultural environments, and effective communication—essential competencies for working in innovation- and knowledge-based industries.”
In this environment, English proficiency is also a key tool for working in companies with international operations and headquarters.
A platform to develop careers
Coyol Free Zone contributes to Costa Rica’s talent development through job creation, training initiatives, specialized education, and collaboration with public and private educational institutions that expand opportunities for personal and professional growth. These efforts include Lumino, a CODE Development Group initiative that offers courses, workshops, and customized solutions for talent development.
These initiatives also include collaboration with the National Learning Institute (INA), University of Costa Rica (UCR), Costa Rica Institute of Technology (TEC), National Technical University (UTN), technical high schools, and private universities.
Through the partnership with INA, employees of companies located in Coyol Free Zone have access to training opportunities that strengthen their knowledge and expand their professional growth opportunities through courses such as Excel, Good Manufacturing Practices, Customer Service, and Emergency Preparedness, among others.
These career development opportunities are complemented by the “Back to School with Lumino” program, created in partnership with Lumino and Universidad Castro Carazo. The program gives employees and residents of neighboring communities the opportunity to resume their studies and complete the third cycle of secondary education (grades 7 through 9) or the Bachillerato por Madurez (High School Equivalency Diploma) program (grades 10 and 11).
Between 2023 and the first quarter of 2025, the program received 627 applications, 163 of which successfully completed the process, reflecting the impact of these initiatives on participants’ education, personal growth, and career development.
Another key initiative is the CODE Development Group Job Board (empleocode.com). Through this platform, companies can post job openings and strengthen their positioning as employers, while candidates create profiles, browse opportunities, and apply directly.
To apply for available positions, candidates are encouraged to register and keep their profiles updated, improving their visibility and alignment with opportunities in the labor market and increasing their chances of being considered by companies.
By the end of 2025, a total of 26 companies located in Coyol Free Zone had used the platform to post job openings.