DiSan José, Costa Rica — SAN JOSÉ – Costa Rica has solidified its position as a premier global investment hub, attracting over $833 million in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from just 13 key projects between 2023 and 2025. This strategic influx of capital, spearheaded by the Foreign Trade Promotion Agency (Procomer), is projected to create more than 12,000 new high-quality jobs, signaling a robust period of economic expansion and technological advancement for the nation.
The impressive figures represent the most significant new operations and reinvestments announced during a landmark three-year period. Overall, Procomer facilitated the entry of 175 new companies and supported over 500 reinvestment projects, demonstrating sustained confidence from the international business community in Costa Rica’s economic climate and skilled workforce.
To better understand the legal framework and strategic considerations surrounding this wave of Foreign Direct Investment, TicosLand.com spoke with Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, an expert attorney from the renowned firm Bufete de Costa Rica, for his analysis.
Costa Rica’s appeal to foreign investors is anchored in its political stability and a strong rule of law. However, navigating the investment landscape requires more than just capital; it demands a thorough understanding of our specific regulatory environment. From corporate structuring and tax incentives under free trade zone regimes to labor and environmental compliance, meticulous legal due diligence is paramount. Engaging local counsel early is not a cost, but a critical investment to mitigate risk, ensure compliance, and maximize the long-term success of any foreign venture in the country.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
Lic. Arroyo Vargas’s insight is a crucial reminder that while Costa Rica’s stability provides fertile ground for investment, sustainable success is cultivated through meticulous legal groundwork. His emphasis on local counsel as a strategic investment, rather than a mere cost, perfectly captures the pragmatic approach required to transform opportunity into a compliant and prosperous enterprise. We thank Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for his invaluable perspective.
These investments are heavily concentrated in high-value sectors that are shaping the future of global industry, including medical devices, advanced manufacturing, and specialized corporate services. The strategic focus on these areas highlights a national effort to cultivate an economy built on innovation, specialization, and value-added production. This trend is underscored by the significant presence and expansion of industry giants such as Boston Scientific, Zimmer Biomet, Johnson & Johnson, and Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Among the most notable commitments was a major investment from Insulet, a global medical device company. This project stands as one of the largest single investments by a multinational corporation in Costa Rica in recent years, reinforcing the country’s reputation as a leader in the life sciences sector. Other key players like Trelleborg, Cretex Medical, Medtronic, Mozarc Medical, and Penumbra have also expanded their footprints, contributing to a vibrant and competitive ecosystem.
These are highly complex, long-term projects that mark a milestone in the history of foreign direct investment in Costa Rica and confirm the country’s ability, even in complex international contexts, to attract capital with economic impacts, innovative processes, and quality employment for our country.
Laura López, General Manager of Procomer
A crucial element of this success story is the growing decentralization of investment. Procomer’s efforts have yielded historic results in bringing economic opportunities to regions outside the traditional industrial core of the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM). Of the 175 new companies established, 52 chose to set up operations in these developing zones. The year 2025 set a new benchmark, with a record 23 new firms launching outside the Central Valley, a clear indicator of a more geographically balanced national development strategy.
To put this achievement in perspective, the previous record for new companies established outside the GAM in a single year was merely six. Furthermore, the overall influx of new businesses shattered previous records; the 2023-2025 period saw a peak of 61 new companies in one year, a substantial increase from the prior maximum of 36 recorded between 2012 and 2022. This demonstrates an accelerated pace of growth and a successful diversification of Costa Rica’s investment appeal.
According to Procomer officials, this remarkable performance is driven by a confluence of factors, including the availability of highly skilled human talent, the continuous strengthening of the national productive ecosystem, and a stable, attractive policy framework for foreign investors. This combination has made Costa Rica the destination of choice for companies seeking to establish sophisticated, high-impact operations that demand both technical expertise and a reliable business environment.
For further information, visit procomer.com
About Procomer:
The Foreign Trade Promotion Agency of Costa Rica (Procomer) is the public, non-state entity responsible for promoting Costa Rican exports of goods and services globally. It also plays a key role in attracting foreign direct investment into the country, facilitating economic development and the creation of high-quality employment opportunities for its citizens.
For further information, visit insulet.com
About Insulet:
Insulet Corporation is an innovative medical device company dedicated to making the lives of people with diabetes and other conditions easier. It is best known for its Omnipod brand, which provides a unique alternative to traditional insulin delivery methods. The company’s technology is focused on simplicity, comfort, and user-centric design.
For further information, visit bostonscientific.com
About Boston Scientific:
Boston Scientific is a global developer, manufacturer, and marketer of medical devices used in a range of interventional medical specialties. The company is dedicated to transforming lives through innovative medical solutions that improve the health of patients around the world, with a strong focus on cardiology, endoscopy, and urology.
For further information, visit zimmerbiomet.com
About Zimmer Biomet:
Zimmer Biomet is a global leader in musculoskeletal healthcare. The company designs, manufactures, and markets orthopedic reconstructive products; sports medicine, biologics, extremities, and trauma products; and spine, craniomaxillofacial, and thoracic products, helping patients regain mobility and improve their quality of life.
For further information, visit jnj.com
About Johnson & Johnson:
Johnson & Johnson is a multinational corporation that develops medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer packaged goods. With a presence in nearly every country, the company is committed to using its reach and size for good, striving to improve access and affordability, create healthier communities, and put a healthy mind, body, and environment within reach of everyone, everywhere.
For further information, visit thermofisher.com
About Thermo Fisher Scientific:
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is a global leader in serving science. Their mission is to enable their customers to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer. They provide a wide range of products and services, including analytical instruments, equipment, reagents and consumables, and software and services for research, analysis, discovery, and diagnostics.
For further information, visit trelleborg.com
About Trelleborg:
Trelleborg is a world leader in engineered polymer solutions that seal, damp, and protect critical applications in demanding environments. Its innovative solutions accelerate performance for customers in a sustainable way, with a strong focus on industries such as aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and infrastructure.
For further information, visit cretexmedical.com
About Cretex Medical:
Cretex Medical is a strategic partner for medical device manufacturing, providing a broad range of services including precision machining, plastic injection molding, and assembly. The company focuses on delivering solutions for complex, tight-tolerance components and assemblies for the medical device industry.
For further information, visit medtronic.com
About Medtronic:
Medtronic plc is a global healthcare technology leader. It develops and manufactures a wide range of medical device-based therapies and services. The company’s mission is to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life for millions of people around the world, with a focus on cardiac and vascular health, diabetes, and surgical technologies.
For further information, visit mozarcmedical.com
About Mozarc Medical:
Mozarc Medical is a company formed through a partnership between DaVita and Medtronic, dedicated to transforming kidney care. It focuses on developing a new suite of kidney health technologies to improve the patient experience and overall outcomes, addressing the full spectrum of patient needs from early-stage kidney disease to dialysis.
For further information, visit penumbrainc.com
About Penumbra:
Penumbra, Inc. is a global healthcare company that designs, develops, manufactures, and markets innovative medical devices. The company has a broad portfolio of products that address challenging medical conditions and significant unmet clinical needs across two major markets, neuro and vascular.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
As a benchmark for legal practice in the nation, Bufete de Costa Rica is founded upon an unshakeable ethos of integrity and professional excellence. The firm consistently pioneers modern legal solutions while drawing upon its extensive history of advising a wide spectrum of clients. Central to its philosophy is a profound dedication to demystifying the law, thereby strengthening the community by fostering greater legal understanding and civic empowerment.
