Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies, a US-based subsidiary of the Japanese Terumo Corporation, will open a factory for the manufacturing of medical devices in Costa Rica.
The news was announced Monday by Casa Presidencial.
Terumo BCT will hire up to 700 people in Costa Rica by the time its plant reaches full capacity next December.
“Our people, a great business environment and the commitment to provide the right conditions to attract high-quality investment, continue to position Costa Rica as the ideal ally for global companies from different geographies with a long tradition of excellence and quality,” said President Carlos Alvarado in a statement from the Presidency.
Terumo BCT will produce in Costa Rica medical devices that are used to collect and separate blood.
The factory will be located in La Lima Free Trade Zone in Cartago.
The company is hiring in human resources, finance, quality control, supply chain, purchasing, engineering and production. In addition, they are hiring personnel in production processes, as well as technical and facilities maintenance. Interested parties can apply at: reclutamiento.cr@terumobct.com.
Costa Rica a big player in medical devices
Costa Rica ranks 14th globally and second in Latin America for the export of medical equipment, according to the Foreign Trade Promoter of Costa Rica (PROCOMER).
Medical and precision devices are the country’s main export, representing 36% of outgoing goods. In Latin America, Costa Rica controls 24% of the regional market, surpassed only by Mexico.
“We are a country that is small in territory but large in talent, which we have much to contribute to the world,” said President Alvarado.
“We are proud to know that we are among the leading countries in this field, which contributes to the strengthening of a sector that has shown a gradual dynamism of exports in the last 10 years.”
Costa Rica is home to some of the biggest medical device companies worldwide, including Baxter and Boston Scientific. All told, the sector generates more than 38,000 jobs.
Unemployment in Costa Rica is 17.3%, down from a pandemic peak of 24% but five percentage points higher than in early 2020.
