QCOSTARICA – Converting Costa Rica in a country providing services for the international aerospace industry is the goal proposed by some 25 companies, both domestic and foreign.
To achieve this, the government on Tuesday unveiled the Aerospace Cluster Costa Rica (CRAC) or Clúster Aeroespacial de Costa Rica was formed, a conglomerate of companies and institutions working towards the same goal.
The activity took place in the Third Workshop Space Technology with Human Dimension (III Taller de Tecnología Espacial con Dimensión Humana), at the Crowne Plaza Corobici hotel.
Pedro Beirute, general manager of Costa Rica’s foreign trade promotion agency, PROCOMER, said “The future is very promising. It is about turning Costa Rica’s talent into business. The talent is there: the gray matter at the level of human talent; academia; public institutions and the ecosystem in general. And if we’re betting on this, it is because we believe there are opportunities.”
Participating firms of the CRAC include: AD Astra Rocket, led by Costa Rican-born former NASA astronaut Franklin Chang, which is developing a plasma-based propulsion system that could make travel to Mars a viable near-term prospect; Atemisa Precisión; AVIONYX; CAMÉRICA; CAMtronics; Central America Silicone Supplier; COOPESA; Diez Orlich Precisión; DIFACOM Fibra de carbón; Irazu Electronics; L-3 Comunicaciones; Microfinish; Oberg Costa Rica; Okay Industries Costa Rica; Olympic Precision Machining; Optyma y Preinsa; Sensors Group Costa Rica, SERPIMETAL; Sertex Servicios Técnicos; Specialty Coating Systems Costa Rica; Techshop Internacional; TAGOSA; TICO ELECTRONICS; and Utitec Medical.
“In this industry, it is a lot about ‘know-how‘, but ‘knowing who‘ is important. Knowing the right people and the right companies to open many windows,” said Mileta.
“Costa Rica has the capacity to play,” he said.
Source: La Nacion
