Intel to start assembly and testing operations in Costa Rica
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Contact the Central American Group to set up assembly and testing operations in Costa Rica.
A $350 million investment in assembly and testing operations in Costa Rica will create more than 200 new jobs. This announcement is made after the start of test operations in Costa Rica in April of this year.
Intel Corporation recently announced that it will dedicate US $350 million over the next three years to start assembly and testing operations in Costa Rica. This sizable investment is expected to create more than 200 new jobs in the coming months. The facilities in which these activities will be performed will be operational during the second half of 2021.
“Intel continuously evaluates its operations around the world to ensure that the company has the right capacity to meet global demand. We will start 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.
Everything is in place for assembly and testing operations in Costa Rica
She added that existing infrastructure, synergy with testing operations that already exist on-site, talent, the Costa Rican free zone regime, and legal certainty gave Intel a favorable option to expand its assembly and testing operations in Costa Rica.
The facilities will be housed on the company’s campus in San Antonio de Belén and are expected to become operational in the second half of 2021. Assembly and testing in Costa Rica will commence once the necessary certifications have been approved.
These operations will be a part of Intel’s Manufacturing and Operations organization. Once the silicon wafer manufacturing process is completed in Intel factories, they are cut and shipped to an assembly and testing facility. Each chip is assembled into a package that protects it and allows it to connect with other components. Finally, its functionality is tested.
“This is an especially powerful sign that in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Costa Rica has strengthened its reputation for being a reliable destination for foreign direct investment. Additionally, these testing and assembly operations in Costa Rica demonstrate that the country develops long-term relationships with investors. Intel has maintained a presence in Costa Rica for more than two decades. An investment of this magnitude deepens the Intel footprint in the country and opens up significant employment opportunities for people of different educational and skill levels,” said the President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado.
New employees will be hired for engineering positions. There will also be opportunities for technicians in disciplines such as electronics, electromechanics, and other related activities.
As a pioneer in the field of high technology, Intel has opened the door for many companies to locate production facilities in Costa Rica. These firms have been attracted by the nation’s most valuable resource: the talent of the Costa Rican people. The high level of performance of the Costa Rican worker is particularly important in a context that has already been driving Industry 4.0 and which, as a product of the pandemic, has accelerated its pace.
The government of Costa Rica is proud that leaders in industries as strategic as this one have chosen to do business within the country’s borders. Costa Rica appreciates this new show of confidence and looks forward to the future with a vision of purpose and sustainability, for its investors from around the world.
Intel in Costa Rica: high-value operations
Intel’s assembly and testing operations in Costa Rica are in addition to other high-value activities that the company already has in place in the country.
Intel Costa Rica currently employs more than 2,200 people. Its operations are divided into two main areas:
- The R&D Center (R&D): This is currently the largest R&D Center in the country that is dedicated to the design, prototype, testing, and validation of integrated circuit solutions.
- Global Services Center: This center designs, executes and improves multifunctional business processes for Intel’s finance, human resources, sales and marketing, quality, and information technologies functions.
“With this project, Costa Rica proves to be a strong ally for all nearshoring strategies that help seek redundancy in supply chain optimization. Costa Rica has proven to be able to consistently offer businesses continuity and a robust market access platform to achieve their goals. The new phase that has been initiated by Intel complements its different business verticals ranging from smart manufacturing to research and development issues,” said Jorge Sequeira Picado, CEO of CINDE.
In addition to its operations, Intel continues to invest in the local people and communities of Costa Rica. Over the past decade, employees have volunteered for more than 190,000 hours. Additionally, in 2019, the company donated more than $268,000 to local causes.
“During 2020, our focus has been to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on our business, starting with our employees and expanding to the community with donations of more than US$120,000 to the National Emergency Commission, more than 23,000 masks to the Costa Rican Social Security Fund and more than 1,000 hours of competency-based volunteering developing mathematical models, data analysis, and monitoring tools that support public institutions’ fight against the pandemic,” concluded Ileana Rojas.
Source: The Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE)
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Intel is committed to innovation and development in Costa Rica
November 4, 2023 @ 11:30 pm
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