CINDE Announces: Intel Costa Rica increases investment to $600 million and triples the number of announced jobs
- Assembly and Testing operations, which will start in the upcoming months, will add more than 600 jobs.
- An additional $40 million will be invested in machinery and equipment for the Research and Development Center, where the number of employees also increased.
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, July 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Intel Costa Rica is moving forward at a good pace for the Assembly and Testing operations to begin in the upcoming months. The Corporation raised the investment announced in December 2020 from $350 million to $600 million.
The hike in investments is due to speeding up the assembly and testing operations ramp to handle new demands by the company's clients, as well as growth in the existing operations in the country. The manufacturing area alone will have 26,000 square meters, which is 11,000 more than what had been planned originally.
In total, 750 people have been hired from 2020 to date for Assembly and Testing, the Research and Development Center, and the Global Services Center.
"We are very pleased to be able to announce this increase in investment to be made in the country and that it is also associated with a hike in the originally reported job positions. Today Intel Costa Rica employs more than 2,700 people. This is the same number that we had in 2014, but with the human talent in more diverse and specialized areas. With their skills and professionalism, they are helping to consolidate the operations in the country. Indirect employment is generated in our operations for close to 3,800 people," stated Timothy Scott Hall, the Manager of Government Affairs for Intel Costa Rica.
Scott added that the Corporation foresees efforts in different geographical areas in the works to increase competitiveness. Currently, the existing infrastructure, the energy with the operations that are already in place, the talent, the Free Trade Zone Program, and the legal certainty provide Intel a positive option to expand its capacity in Costa Rica. The company needs to constantly continue to encourage its competitiveness, just like in the rest of the world.
The Corporation also increased investment in new equipment and technology to $40 million in the Research and Development Center laboratories. This investment is dedicated to designing, prototyping, testing, and validating integrated circuit solutions. The space and infrastructure for the different laboratories are being increased. For this specific area, 150 people have been hired in the last year.
Jorge Sequeira, the CINDE Managing Director, commented that "Intel ratifies Costa Rica's position as a strategic variable for its global operations. Increasing its investment for assembly and testing activities even more, as well as equipment and staff for the Research and Development Center, strengthen the country's position as an intelligent manufacturing platform that efficiently responds in industry 4.0. In addition, it shows that Costa Rica is the best option for nearshoring in the Americas, which is backed up by an ambitious proposal related to the value of the people, the planet, and prosperity."
The new employees have engaged in a training process starting with the moment they are hired in subjects related to techniques, occupational health, and organizational culture. This training has been carried out in Asia, the United States, and locally for Assembly and Testing operations.
Currently, more than 150 positions are open in diverse areas such as engineering, manufacturing, finance, and information technology, as well as in other areas.
New operations are progressing satisfactorily
As was announced last December, the Assembly and Testing operations will start in the second half of the year. The facilities will be on the company campus in San Antonio de Belén. Right now, all the equipment needed to start the plant is already in the country, and the functional verification process has begun. The certification process by the Corporation also began and is expected to be completed in approximately two months.
These operations are part of Intel's manufacturing and operations organization. Once the silicon wafer manufacturing process is completed at the Intel plants, they are cut and sent to a facility for assembly and testing. Each chip is assembled in a package to protect it and that makes it possible to connect to different components. Finally, its functionality is tested.
Intel in Costa Rica: high-value operations
The assembly and testing operations have become part of the high-value activities that are located in Costa Rica and are split into two large centers:
- The Research and Development Center (R&D): This is currently the major R&D center and the largest exporter of these services in the country and is dedicated to the design, prototypes, testing, and validation of integrated circuit solutions. The people who work in this area make up 40% of the employees.
- The Global Services Center: The center designs, executes, and transforms multifunctional business processes throughout the world in Finance, Human Resources, Sales and Marketing, Quality, and Information Technology. Some 40% of the workforce is employed here.
In addition to its operations, Intel continues to invest in the country and in its people. Through skills-based volunteering, we have made the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) more approachable for hundreds of students throughout the country.
One example is the free programming courses that were recently launched and the project with high school students in Limon to improve their technical and strategic skills to boost their employability.
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