Costa Rica Tech City

t’s still early days for the concept of a technology center, where  companies and schools would get low-cost land, in exchange for providing training and jobs.

But legislation is moving ahead in the National Assembly, which would give the city of San José the right to develop some 1.8 hectares (4.5 acres) of public land, which is currently unused, and which is adjacent to an urban rail line.

The project, led by mayor Johnny Araya, and managed by Agencia de Desarrollo Económico Local (Local Economic Development Agency), includes participation by Cinde, the Costa Rican investment promotion institute, Procomer, the country’s export promotion service, and the Ministry of Foreign Trade (Spanish only).

A Costa Rican tech city could resemble Panama’s City of Knowledge, which uses a combination of public and private grants, together with land left by American administrators of the Panama Canal, to invite academic institutions, high technology companies, and international organizations dedicated to sustainable development.

Directors include television personality Mercedes Eleta de Brenes and the Chairman of Copa Airlines, Stanley Motta, as well as the ministers of the Presidency, Foreign Trade, Education, and Science and Innovation.

Companies with research projects in the City of Knowledge include Caterpillar, Copa Airlines, GSK and HP, while the World Wildlife Fund investigates biological diversity.