Intel restarting assembly operations in Costa Rica, investing $350 million

Intel Corporation will invest $350 million over the next three years to restart assembly operations in Costa Rica.

The Costa Rican Presidency expects the venture will create more than 200 new jobs over the coming months. The facilities will begin operation in the second half of 2021.

“Intel continuously evaluates its operations around the world to ensure that we have the right capacity to meet global demand. We will begin assembly and testing operations in Costa Rica in order to expand our capacity and continue to meet the needs of our customers,” said Ileana Rojas, General Manager of Intel Costa Rica.

The operations are part of Intel’s Manufacturing and Operations division and involve the assembly and testing of microchips.

Intel will hire engineers and electromechanical technicians via their job portal at: www.intel.com/jobs.

“This is another important sign that the country has strengthened amid the pandemic as a trusted destination for foreign direct investment,” said President Carlos Alvarado.

Intel has operated in Costa Rica since 1997, when it helped to establish the country as a technology hub.

In 2000, microchips represented 36 percent of the country’s total exports, and by the time Intel closed its chip assembly plant here in 2014, laying off 1,500 workers, its production represented more than a quarter of Costa Rica’s exports

Since then, the company has expanded its Costa Rica-based research and development center, where employees “design, prototype, test, and validate integrated circuit and software solutions.”

Intel Costa Rica also operates a services center that provides “finance, human resources, procurement, and sales and marketing support” for the entire corporation.

Today, the company employs more than 2,200 people in Costa Rica.

Intel Costa Rica’s headquarters are located in Belén, Heredia, northwest of the capital.