Life Sciences Sector

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If you’re thinking about investing in Costa Rica, we’re here to help you! CINDE has attracted over 330 high-tech companies for more than 35 years. Your company can become our next success story, and it all starts with one click!

Life Sciences Sector executives:

Erick Mora
Sector lead
Jimena Pérez
Sector Specialist

Smart Manufacturing

Life Sciences

Leading patient-centered solutions

in the era of connected care

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The future of health
is here: from e-health
to automation

Costa Rica hosts a robust ecosystem for the life sciences industry with +90 Medtech multinationals that design and produce solutions that save lives around the world. These companies face the challenge of constant reconversion due to the industry’s accelerated global transformation, where IoT, e-health, automation, and new materials will mark the coming trend.

Home of 13 of the top 20 OEMs, and 16 top technology leaders, Costa Rica is your natural choice for medical devices, pharma, and biotech.

#1 Export
product

Medical Devices is the #1 export product of Costa Rica

COVID business impact

Resilience: Effective COVID-19 response strategy led to minimum business impact.

$5.2B Medtech Export

Medtech exports are $5.2 billion, with a 33% growth compared to 2020 exports

10 Medtech companies

10 MedTech companies carrying out R&D processes in CR

58% growth per employee

Increased productivity: 58% growth of average output per employee since 1999

#1 Medical Devices company

#1 Medical Devices worldwide company operating in Costa Rica: Medtronic

2/3 of world's GDP

Ideal nearshoring option: preferential access to 61%% of world’s GDP through free trade agreements including USA, EU, China, South Korea and Singapore

#1 Competitive City

San Jose-Heredia Metro Area: #1 Most Competitive City in LATAM for Life Sciences (Site Selection, 2018)

12 of top 30 Global Medtech OEM companies

12 of the top 30 Global Medtech OEM companies have established manufacturing operations in 18 different subsectors

#3 exporter of high-technology in LATAM

#3 exporter of high-technology in LATAM (as % of manufactured exports) - World Bank, 2020

43k employees

Nearly 43,000 employees in 2021 in Life Sciences Sector

6,4% of exports

Pharmaceuticals & chemicals represented 6,4% of exports in 2020

99% renewable energy

99% electric grid from renewables: and several facilities are certified LEED or Edge.

27 Pharma companies

27 Pharmaceutical companies operating in Costa Rica

Costa Rica has proven to be a compelling, performance-driven location for Boston Scientific. Key drivers for our success at two major sites in Costa Rica include highly committed, multi-disciplined local talent; cross-divisional engagement; growth into R&D, process development and lab competencies.

Randy Schiestl
VP OF GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY BOSTON SCIENTIFIC

Our Costa Rica site has grown into a global center of excellence for our market-leading Infusion Systems business and is emerging as an important location for shared services. We are grateful for the support of the government and of CINDE, and our close working relationship. Looking ahead, we intend to drive further investment and growth in Costa Rica in close alignment with ICU’s overall growth as a company.

Christian Voigtlander
Chief Operating Officer

The growth of Philips in Costa Rica is due to strong results from local operations, due to the quality, commitment, and passion that our Costa Rican talent has demonstrated over the years. This is how we went from being a plant of 550 employees in 2015 to 2,850 employees today.

Natalia Méndez Debriones
Leader of Medical Device Operations

Roche is always looking for opportunities to strengthen the relationship we have with the different governments in Central America and the Caribbean, where Costa Rica has been our home for almost 50 years. Since then, our experience with the country has been extraordinary. The political stability and the business environment Costa Rica has offered through the years make us completely sure this will be an investment we won't have any regrets about in the future.

Álvaro Soto
General Manager, Central America and the Caribbean

Applications in the

Life Sciences Sector

Medtech

Costa Rica offers end-to-end solutions for Medtech. The country is skilled in manufacturing Class I to Class III medical devices, R&D, IoT, automation, corporate services, logistics & supply chain, and everything in between. There is broad expertise in aesthetics, cardiovascular, dental, endoscopy, medication delivery systems, neuro-endovascular, neuro-modulation, optics, orthopedics/sports medicine/ENT, and surgical/diagnostics components.
Pharmaceuticals

From leveraging operational enhancements through drug testing & clinical trials to patient data analytics, pharmacovigilance, manufacturing, and packaging, we've emerged as the top choice for deploying complex value-added processes.
Biotech

Applying nanotechnology to stop pancreatic cancer and reduce metastasis is one of our specialties. Other areas include anti-venom snake serum, genetic plant & crop enhancement, and research for new biomaterials.

Researcher using MedTech equipment in Costa Rica Life Sciences

exponential Technologies

Converging technologies lead the future of life sciences in Latin America

EXPLORE ALL TECHNOLOGIES

R&D

Fostering new knowledge to create new products & services

R&D

Pfizer’s Institute for Science and Research in Costa Rica is dedicated to medical education and research on pharma-economy, good clinical practices, scientific research, biological and biosimilar medications among others. They are actively involved in trails with USA’s Cancer Institute on Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

Big Data / Analytics

Discovering patterns and insights within large datasets

Big Data / Analytics

Located in Costa Rica, MSD's Data Management Center for clinical studies collects and analyzes detailed patient data from personal diaries to detect and report adverse events such as side effects or unwanted reactions of new product launches.

UX/UI

Enhancing digital experience and interaction in the physical world

UX/UI

Divina™, the latest generation 3D scanner from Establishment Labs developed in collaboration with Intel Megalab in Costa Rica, captures the woman's body imagery and simulates the customer outcome, according to its needs in terms of size, material and quality, partnering with Intel's technologies to bring the best game to the table.

IoT

Interrelated computing devices transferring data over a network

IoT

To make it easy for patients and surgeons alike to access implant information, Establishment Labs created Q-ID, a 12-mm sized chip placed within the implant, to read, trace and extract detailed patient and product features. IoT implementations also take place in several manufacturing facilities for on-site tracking of high-value equipment.

3D Printing

Creating a physical object from a three-dimensional digital model

3D Printing

From its site in Costa Rica, MicroPort Orthopedics' designs surgical fixtures for surgery guides, tailored to each patient’s needs, used in knee and hip replacements. These designs are then sent to the United States for 3D printing and delivery to the corresponding medical centers and physicians.

AI / Machine Learning

Using computers to understand human intelligence

AI / Machine Learning

Boston Scientific Costa Rica crafted an algorithm that interprets data from multiple sensors embedded within its defibrillators. That AI produces an index for each patient, which is then sent to a physician and, based on the doctor’s preferences, the doctor can receive an alert when things change beyond a certain threshold.

Robotics

Programmable machines capable of carrying out a series of actions autonomously

Robotics

Microtechnologies Costa Rica has been a pioneer in the robotics and automation field, increasing autonomous technology solutions. Converging this technology with data analytics has opened a hole new world of precision, product integrity, and supply chain viability.

enabling Capabilities

Costa Rica has all the potential human capital and necessary conditions for getting the most out of the current technological convergence taking place in life sciences, generating major investment opportunities here.

EXPLORE MORE CAPABILITIES

New ideas to create value

Speratum, as a biotech company, is dedicated to R&D of targeted molecular therapies for the treatment of pancreatic cancer as well as COVID-19 solutions. By using miRNAs proprietary technology, as opposed to traditional cancer therapies, it targets hundreds of different factors involved in cancer all at once.

Doing business by creating a positive experience and maximizing service offerings through building relationships

Tailor-made solutions are designed in Costa Rica at life sciences firm Align, the world’s largest 3D printing operation. This operation works hand-in-hand with orthodontists around the word. Technicians in Costa Rica collaborate with them to design the right devices to produce the aligners and to give on-going follow-up throughout the entire treatment.

Harnessing the benefits of technology to improve lives

Medtronic, the world's #1 medtech company, does biomedical engineering in Costa Rica through manufacturing of components for spine implants, addressing pain management for scoliosis and restoring health.

Ensuring people feel welcome, by appreciating differences to achieve superior results

Fostering an inclusive culture is part of Edwards Lifesciences Costa Rica's essence. The company created a new tailor-made training program in Medical Manufacturing Assistance, in partnership with the Institute of National Training (INA in Spanish), for the employability of people living in poverty and extreme poverty, impacting mostly female heads of household.

Strength

in numbers

companies in the Life Sciences sector in Costa Rica

EXPLORE FULL LIST OF COMPANIES

92 currently active companies in this sector

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Show Processes

Advisory Services

MicroPort Orthopedics
2013

Aesthetics

AbbVie
1999
Establishment Labs
2015

Agroindustry

Agrosustentable
1995

Assemblies and Sub-assemblies

Abbott Vascular
2010
Advant Medical
2018
Apollo Endosurgery
2014
Applied Medical Precision
2012
ATL Technology
2013
Baxter Healthcare
1987
Bayer Medical
2012
Biomerics CRI
2013
Biomerics NLE
2020
Boston Scientific
2004
Cardinal Health
2017
Cirtec Medical
2020
Confluent Medical
2010
CooperMedical (Former CooperSurgical)
2017
Creganna Medical
2008
DeRoyal
2002
Edwards Lifesciences
2016
Freudenberg Medical
2019
Heraeus Medical Components
2016
Hologic
2004
Horizons Intl.
2005
ICU Medical
1999
Itek
2016
Micro Technologies
1999
MicroVention a Terumo Co.
2011
Moog Medical
2009
Oberg Industries
2002
Philips
2010
Precision Concepts Medical
1991
SMC Ltd
2011
Smith & Nephew
2002
TE Connectivity (TE Medical Co.)
2013
TEGRA Medical
2010
Theragenics
2014
Utitec Medical
2005
Viant Medical
2004

Business Intelligence

Covance Clinical Development
2017
Glaxo Smith Kline
1990
GSK Glaxo Smith Kline Costa Rica
2013
Merck (MSD)
2017
Procter & Gamble
1999

Cardiovascular/Vascular

Contract Manufacturers

Customer Service/Care (via phone, e-mail & chat)

Dental Systems

Electronic Components

NACS
2020

Endoscopy

Apollo Endosurgery
2014
Boston Scientific
2004
Horizons Intl.
2005

Engineering & Design

Finance & Accounting

Align Technologies Global Park
2001
Align Technology
2001
Aspen Pharma
2014
AstraZeneca
2017
Baxter Healthcare
1987
Glaxo Smith Kline
1990
GSK Glaxo Smith Kline Costa Rica
2013
Hologic
2004
ICU Medical
1999
Lonza
2017
Merck (MSD)
2017
MicroPort Orthopedics
2013
Pfizer
2013
Procter & Gamble
1999
Roche
1985
Roche Services Americas
2016
TE Connectivity (TE Medical Co.)
2013
Thermo Fischer Scientific Coyol
2018
Thermo Fischer Scientific Flexipark
2011
Thermo Fisher Scientific Ultra
2016

Food Processing

Jiang Huai
2017

Human Resources

Machining and Tooling

Hologic
2004
International Precision Molds
2006
Medtronic
2011
Micro Technologies
1999
Viant Medical
2004

Medication Delivery System

Baxter Healthcare
1987
ICU Medical
1999
Moog Medical
2009

Metalwork

Oberg Industries
2002
Okay Industries
2012
Utitec Medical
2005

Neuroendovascular

MicroVention a Terumo Co.
2011

Neuromodulation Devices

Boston Scientific
2004
Cirtec Medical
2020

OEMs

Abbott Vascular
2010
AbbVie
1999
Align Technologies Global Park
2001
Align Technology
2001
Apollo Endosurgery
2014
Baxter Healthcare
1987
Bayer Medical
2012
Boston Scientific
2004
Cardinal Health
2017
Coloplast A/S
2018
CooperMedical (Former CooperSurgical)
2017
Coopervision
2012
DeRoyal
2002
Edwards Lifesciences
2016
Establishment Labs
2015
Hologic
2004
Horizons Intl.
2005
ICU Medical
1999
Implant Concierge
2018
Medtronic
2011
MicroPort Orthopedics
2013
MicroVention a Terumo Co.
2011
Moog Medical
2009
Philips
2010
Smile Direct
2016
Smith & Nephew
2002
Smith Sterling
1994
Theragenics
2014
Viax Dental Lab
2014
Wright Medical
2010

Optics

Coopervision
2012

Orthopedics/Sports Medicine/ENT

MicroPort Orthopedics
2013
Smith & Nephew
2002
Wright Medical
2010

Packaging

Pacific Barcode
2021

Parts Manufacturing

Smith Sterling
1994
Viax Dental Lab
2014

Plastic Injection

AbbVie
1999
Advant Medical
2018
Apollo Endosurgery
2014
Baxter Healthcare
1987
Bayer Medical
2012
Boston Scientific
2004
CASS
2014
Coloplast A/S
2018
Confluent Medical
2010
Coopervision
2012
Creganna Medical
2008
DeRoyal
2002
Establishment Labs
2015
Freudenberg Medical
2019
ICU Medical
1999
Itek
2016
Merrill´s Packaging
2010
Micro Technologies
1999
Moog Medical
2009
Nelipak
2005
Philips
2010
Precision Concepts Medical
1991
Prent
2012
SMC Ltd
2011
Spectrum Plastics (Former Kelpac Medical)
2001
TE Connectivity (TE Medical Co.)
2013
TEGRA Medical
2010
Tekni-plex / Natvar
2012
Viant Medical
2004

Procurement

Pfizer
2013
PolyOne
2012
Thermo Fischer Scientific Coyol
2018
Thermo Fischer Scientific Flexipark
2011
Thermo Fisher Scientific Ultra
2016

Quality Assurance and compliance

Roche
1985
Roche Services Americas
2016

Radiology

Bayer Medical
2012

Respiratory

Philips
2010

Software Development

Software Maintenance

Bodybuilding
2011

Sterilization

Sterigenics
2010
Steris
2008

Suppliers

Applied Medical Precision
2012
ATL Technology
2013
Biomerics CRI
2013
CASS
2014
Creganna Medical
2008
CRx Lifesciences (Enhanced Compliance)
2019
Freudenberg Medical
2019
G.Rau
2012
Heraeus Medical Components
2016
International Precision Molds
2006
Merrill´s Packaging
2010
Micro Technologies
1999
NACS
2020
National Building Maintenance
2013
Nelipak
2005
Oberg Industries
2002
Okay Industries
2012
Pacific Barcode
2021
Philips
2010
PolyOne
2012
Precision Coating
2015
Prent
2012
Production Automation Corp.
2016
Resonetics
2015
Sachs Chemicals
2015
Specialty Coating Systems
2006
Spectrum Plastics (Former Kelpac Medical)
2001
Steris
2008
TE Connectivity (TE Medical Co.)
2013
Tekni-plex / Natvar
2012
Utitec Medical
2005
Visional Technology
2019
VWR
2014

Surgical Devices

DeRoyal
2002

Technical Support (Tier 1-4)

MicroPort Orthopedics
2013
Procter & Gamble
1999
Roche
1985
Roche Services Americas
2016

Women's Healthcare

CooperMedical (Former CooperSurgical)
2017
Hologic
2004

Abbott Vascular
2010
AbbVie
1999
ADMEDES
2020
Advant Medical
2018
Agrosustentable
1995
Align Technologies Global Park
2001
Align Technology
2001
Apollo Endosurgery
2014
Applied Medical Precision
2012
Aspen Pharma
2014
AstraZeneca
2017
ATL Technology
2013
Baxter Healthcare
1987
Bayer Medical
2012
Biomerics CRI
2013
Biomerics NLE
2020
Bodybuilding
2011
Boston Scientific
2004
Byte
2020
Cardinal Health
2017
CASS
2014
Cirtec Medical
2020
Coloplast A/S
2018
Confluent Medical
2010
CooperMedical (Former CooperSurgical)
2017
Coopervision
2012
Covance Clinical Development
2017
Creganna Medical
2008
CRx Lifesciences (Enhanced Compliance)
2019
DeRoyal
2002
Edwards Lifesciences
2016
Establishment Labs
2015
Freudenberg Medical
2019
Glaxo Smith Kline
1990
G.Rau
2012
GSK Glaxo Smith Kline Costa Rica
2013
Heraeus Medical Components
2016
Hologic
2004
Horizons Intl.
2005
ICU Medical
1999
Implant Concierge
2018
International Precision Molds
2006
Itek
2016
Jiang Huai
2017
Lonza
2017
Medtronic
2011
Merck (MSD)
2017
Merrill´s Packaging
2010
MicroPort Orthopedics
2013
Micro Technologies
1999
MicroVention a Terumo Co.
2011
Moog Medical
2009
NACS
2020
National Building Maintenance
2013
Nelipak
2005
Oberg Industries
2002
Okay Industries
2012
OraMetrix (Dentsply Sirona)
2019
Pacific Barcode
2021
Pfizer
2013
Philips
2010
PolyOne
2012
Precision Coating
2015
Precision Concepts Medical
1991
Prent
2012
Procter & Gamble
1999
Production Automation Corp.
2016
Resonetics
2015
Roche
1985
Roche Services Americas
2016
Sachs Chemicals
2015
SMC Ltd
2011
Smile Direct
2016
Smith & Nephew
2002
Smith Sterling
1994
Specialty Coating Systems
2006
Spectrum Plastics (Former Kelpac Medical)
2001
Sterigenics
2010
Steris
2008
TE Connectivity (TE Medical Co.)
2013
TEGRA Medical
2010
Tekni-plex / Natvar
2012
Theragenics
2014
Thermo Fischer Scientific Coyol
2018
Thermo Fischer Scientific Flexipark
2011
Thermo Fisher Scientific Ultra
2016
Utitec Medical
2005
Viant Medical
2004
Viax Dental Lab
2014
Visional Technology
2019
VWR
2014
Wright Medical
2010

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The latest about Life Sciences Sector:

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Life Sciences

Essential Insights

Find out more about why we are the hub for life sciences in Latin America. Get the most out of our latest data and inform your next investment project.

Want to become our next success story?

Life Sciences team

Erick Mora

Sector lead

Jimena Pérez

Sector Specialist

Life Sciences

Leading patient-centered solutions in the era of connected care

The future of health is here: from e-health to automation

Applications in the Life Sciences Sector

Medtech

Pharmaceuticals

Biotech

exponential Technologies

Converging technologies lead the future of life sciences in Latin America

R&D

R&D

Big Data / Analytics

Big Data / Analytics

UX/UI

UX/UI

IoT

IoT

3D Printing

3D Printing

AI / Machine Learning

AI / Machine Learning

Robotics

Robotics

enabling Capabilities

New ideas to create value

Doing business by creating a positive experience and maximizing service offerings through building relationships

Harnessing the benefits of technology to improve lives

Ensuring people feel welcome, by appreciating differences to achieve superior results

92 currently active companies in this sector

The latest about Life Sciences Sector:

Essential Insights

Want to become our next success story?

Erick Mora

Jimena Pérez

Leading patient-centered solutions

in the era of connected care

The future of health
is here: from e-health
to automation

Applications in the

Life Sciences Sector