- Together with companies located in this industrial park, they develop upskilling plans for the continuous improvement of skills.
- Free Trade Zone provides quality employment for +24,500 direct employees.
Alajuela, May 19. More than 1,800 people were able to acquire new competencies and skills thanks to the technical and specialized training programs implemented by Coyol Free Zone during the last year.
The technical level of human talent in this industrial park is the result of a combination of proactive talent attraction and training strategies. Having highly specialized personnel is one of the major attractions for companies that decide to set up operations in Coyol Free Zone.
“Coyol Free Zone promotes educational programs in partnership with Lumino, INA, public and private universities, and technical schools, as well as upskilling plans in collaboration with the companies themselves, so that employees can acquire new skills and strengthen their abilities. This ensures that they have the appropriate educational profile and the skills demanded by the industry”, said Carlos Wong, Managing Director of CODE Development Group, the co-developer of Coyol Free Zone.
One of the most important initiatives are the courses given by the National Learning Institute (INA), through which 290 employees of companies located in Coyol Free Zone were trained during 2024 in topics such as: Customer Service, Basic Occupational Health, English, Quality Inspector, Occupational Health and Environment Manager, Ethics and Values applied to work, as well as TICS operator.
With 18 years of experience, Coyol Free Zone is also committed to promoting personal and professional development. For this reason, it offers the “Manufacturing Operator” course, which in 2024 enabled 1,596 people to be trained. This training has been available, free of charge, since 2021 and, to date, has been completed by a total of 11,486 people.
This business park currently provides direct employment for more than 24,500 people (41.75% of employment in the medical device sector), 55% of whom are women.
An industry with continuous training
If there is one thing that companies in the Life Sciences industry require, it is constant training to develop a pool of highly specialized human talent. This is essential to drive their growth and ensure high standards of compliance in the medical device manufacturing processes that improve the quality of life of millions of people around the world.
Other important initiatives carried out by the park are: Intégrate and Back to School with LUMINO. The latter is a program developed jointly with LUMINO and the Castro Carazo University through which employees of companies located in Coyol Free Zone or people from surrounding communities can enroll to study for the GED or the Third Cycle of High School. Between 2023 and the first quarter of 2025, 627 applications have been received for the program and 163 people have successfully completed the program. 22 of the 34 companies operating in the Coyol Free Zone participated in the first 2024 call for applications.
In addition, it has agreements with 20 strategic municipalities based on their geographic location that allow them to attract human talent.
Wong stressed the importance of continuing to implement training strategies and programs in response to the challenges facing the Life Sciences industry. “The growth of the sector creates an increasing demand for technical and professional personnel with specific expertise in medical devices, advanced manufacturing, quality control, regulatory affairs and biotechnology, among others.”
For example, the accelerated advancement in medical technologies and manufacturing processes imposes the need for continuous training. Professionals must be regularly updated on international standards, such as ISO 13485 (internationally recognized standard for quality management systems in the medical device industry), new automation technologies, process validations and high-precision manufacturing.
Beyond technical knowledge, this strategic sector for the Costa Rican economy requires profiles with soft skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork in multicultural environments, and effective communication, among others.
About Coyol Free Zone
Coyol Free Zone is the leading medical device export park in Costa Rica, with exports of over US$4.44 billion per year, equivalent to 35.1% of exports in the manufacturing segment of the country’s Free Zone Regime.
It was awarded as the Best Free Trade Zone in the Americas, for the fourth consecutive year, and recognized in the Top 10 Free Trade Zones in the World, as well as the Most Sustainable Free Trade Zone in the Americas by fDI Intelligence in 2024. It houses the operation of 34 world-class companies, 7 of which are in the Top 30 Global Medical Devices companies.