AEROSPACE CLUSTER
Companies in Costa Rica's aerospace industry, most specifically within the electronic and software segments, are excited to push the nascent sector's limits with the right products and high-quality human resources.
We are focused on electromechanical assemblies. We mostly do magnetics and winding assemblies, such as electric motors, resolvers, synchros, and solenoids, cable harnesses, and various electromechanical connection devices that are used in a variety of high-end applications. Our business is 70% aerospace. Many industries relate; therefore, we have a lot of assemblies that are used in the energy sector as well as the medical sector. We have an ambitious goal of growing and doubling our sales in the next three years. The way we see ourselves doing that is by managing the supply chain of materials and services that used to be provided by our customers. Thanks to the aerospace cluster initiative, we are now able to use local suppliers for parts that we had to buy in other countries, and we also get to interact much more with universities and government agencies in developing capabilities and promoting Costa Rica. The cluster has also made it much easier to interact with larger corporations looking for products and services. Aside from promotion, we also use our strength in numbers to consolidate quality certification initiatives and organize seminars in areas specific to our industry. The cluster also makes us more attractive for FDI.
Costa Rica has been particularly important for L3, especially in terms of costs. There are areas where the country needs to improve, as there are some costs that have grown significantly, such as electricity. Power is too expensive nowadays. We have to work hard on how to reduce costs on power, and infrastructure needs to improve as well. Costa Rica is still attractive, however. The capability of the people to learn is excellent here, so the country always has the latest technology. If the local workforce could not adapt or did not have the proper experience and knowledge then we probably would not be here. We want to continue transferring more of our products and technology here, as we are always in competition. Market margins are small, so building the products in Costa Rica makes us more competitive, with more options to sell to more people. This is why we continue to aggressively transfer new products to Costa Rica. The facility here in Costa Rica is critical to the corporation, and we increase competitiveness with our products. Our customers mainly come in the form of telecommunications in the government sector and commercial sector. We supply modules that go on antennas or government equipment for telecommunications, for example. These are high-end and sophisticated products.
Avionyx is an AS-9100 certified software engineering services company. In the aerospace industry, particularly commercial aerospace industry, one cannot develop, manufacture, or operate any equipment without license and certification from FAA or the relevant certifying entity. The software development process is extremely critical. The planes may look the same in the last few decades, but they are different on the inside. The biggest change came from the fly-by-wire concept. Aircrafts are truly a network of equipment and everything is digital, which has brought a major change to the industry. It increased the importance of software because software controls the behavior of the operations of all the equipment. I would like to see more aerospace companies as Costa Rica has a great deal to offer in that regard. Costa Rica does not have an aerospace background and when we came here the owner brought over several experienced engineers; however, now Costa Rica hosts the company's only engineering facility. The engineering schools in Costa Rica are great, and we can do much more. At this point, we are one of the few companies that are on the engineering and product development side. We are excited about all the possibilities and Procomer has done a great job promoting Costa Rica as an aerospace destination.
AEROSPACE CLUSTER
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Interview
Yamileth Astorga, President, Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA)
TBY talks to Yamileth Astorga, President of the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA), on the challenges of providing high-quality potable water and working to prevent a water deficit.
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Luis Carlos Delgado Murillo, President, National Supervisory Council for the Financial System (CONASSIF)
TBY talks to Luis Carlos Delgado Murillo, President of the National Supervisory Council for the Financial System (CONASSIF), on the importance of collaboration between the private and public sectors and facilitating new business.
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Minor Rodríguez, General Manager, Coopesa
TBY talks to Minor Rodríguez, General Manager of Coopesa, on being the only self-managing cooperative in the world dedicated to heavy aircraft, the importance of communication, and maintaining a flat and democratic governance structure.
read articleReview
Reaching the Sky
The construction sector in Costa Rica has recovered significantly from a slump in 2016. However, the country has much to accomplish, especially in terms of ensuring new residential projects are inclusive for all income levels and fixing the infrastructure problem.
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Dr. Fernando Llorca Castro, Executive President, Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social
TBY talks to Dr. Fernando Llorca Castro, Executive President of Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social, on the importance of institutional longevity, joining the OECD, and bringing standardized services to every part of the country.
read articleFocus: Education Training
Get the Ball Rolling
One of the main factors that attracts investors to Costa Rica has been its skilled human capital. For this purpose, the government and academia are collaborating to improve programs and better align them to the requirements of several industries.
read articleReview: Education
Class Is In Session
High levels of public investment have made Costa Rica's education system one of the strongest in Latin America, and government leaders are working to improve teacher quality and ensure that the poorest Costa Ricans have access to quality secondary and tertiary schools.
read articleInterview
Marco Robert, General Manager, IMC Interamericana Medios de Comunicación
TBY talks to Marco Robert, General Manager of IMC Interamericana Medios de Comunicación, on the importance of articulating a clear philosophy, the industry's biggest weaknesses, and the ideal advertising setup.
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