- June 23 marks the International Day of Women in Engineering, a field historically dominated by men, which today has greater female participation.
Alajuela, June 20, 2024. The Life Sciences industry offers ample growth possibilities for women engineers. In this area, brilliant and ingenious minds excel and take innovation to new horizons in Coyol Free Zone.
These are female engineers who, with their effort and professionalism, are breaking down myths and making their way in the world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers, and are a source of inspiration for more girls and young women to opt for studies related to this fascinating world.
Falon Navarro, Sr. Account Manager, and Ana Cristina Ulloa, Engineering Manager, both employees of the company Resonetics, located in the leading industrial park in medical device exports, are evidence of this.
Navarro is a biomedical engineer and says she is passionate about her discipline because it allows her to develop medical equipment or devices that improve health care, quality of life and help patients around the world.
“Engineering gives you purpose. It is satisfying to know that you can innovate and develop equipment that has an impact not only in Costa Rica and the region, but also in the world,” explained Navarro, who added that today more women in engineering are needed, thinking differently and bringing a different perspective.
“In this field there are many opportunities and the probability of getting a job is very high. In free trade zones such as Coyol Free Zone there are many possibilities for professional growth and development,” he said.
Taking advantage of opportunities
These opportunities now allow mechanical engineer Ana Cristina Ulloa, who works as Engineering Manager and has been working in different areas and companies of medical devices for 19 years, to cultivate her skills, improve her knowledge and advance in her professional career. At Resonetics, she has been working in the Laser area for 5 years and feels extremely satisfied with the professional growth offered by such an inclusive company, with equal conditions and opportunities.
“We work on many different projects, from transfers from the United States to Costa Rica, to the implementation of new products and capacity building. We learn about new technologies, products and new cultures, because there are opportunities for everyone”, she said.
Today, Ulloa combines her professional career with her role as a wife and mother of a young girl and a boy. “I would motivate girls and young women to get more involved in STEM activities, both to develop their skills and to spark an interest in these types of disciplines. Many people think of engineering as building houses or mechanical engineering as fixing cars, but that is not the case. There are many branches that can be chosen and performed by both men and women.”
Both Navarro and Ulloa are part of the 54% of the female human talent working in the 34 companies of the Life Sciences and Smart Manufacturing industry operating in Coyol Free Zone. They motivate other women to have confidence in themselves, to believe in their abilities, to not limit themselves in their professional development and growth, to shine in all their splendor and to be encouraged by a STEM career.
“At Coyol Free Zone we do promote an environment of diversity with equal opportunities and empowerment for women, in line with the fifth Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations (UN). The female human talent that makes up the park is highly committed and capable of combining their family and professional roles to make a significant contribution to the Life Sciences industry,” said Carlos Wong, Managing Director of CODE Development Group, a co-developer of Coyol Free Zone.
According to a report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), women account for 35% of those in STEM higher education worldwide.