PROCOMER | World Engineering Day

Partnerships with purpose

PROCOMER links Costa Rican exporters and entrepreneurs with the rest of the world. The result is that this small Central America country packs a big punch in trade and investment.

Set up in 1996 as the foreign trade and investment promotion agency, PROCOMER works to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), simplifying regulations for overseas companies that locate there and boosting the growth of local SMEs. The ultimate goal is to raise living standards up and down the country.

“It’s all about fulfilling a strategic purpose to generate inclusive and sustainable wellbeing in all regions of the country,” says Laura López, CEO at PROCOMER.

Why invest there?

Costa Rica has lots to offer, says PROCOMER. Overseas investors gain from a stable governance not far from the US that prioritizes education and healthcare, an attractive Free Trade Zone regime that complies with international regulatory standards, and a talented and qualified workforce that enhances the country’s appeal as an investment destination.

“Costa Rica is a beautiful place to live and visit, but it’s also a beautiful place to do business. Hundreds of global companies have made their home here because they want to do business in a country that values stability, sustainability, trust, and transparency,” says López.

Where in the world?

In its search for new export markets for goods and services, PROCOMER has opened offices in more than 40 countries worldwide. Today, income from sectors such as medtech and digital technology has overtaken that of Costa Rica’s agricultural trade, from bananas and pineapples to coffee.

In September 2025, PROCOMER’s inaugural Costa Rica Trade and Investment Summit – billed to “turn the country into a global business hub” – is set to unite 400 investors and buyers from 45 countries with 1,000 Costa Rican companies.

Through large-scale employment fairs, PROCOMER acts as matchmaker for Costa Rica’s highly motivated, young and mainly bilingual workforce. Skilled in STEM subjects, homegrown talent is crucial to the mission to attract and retain FDI.

Such strategies can have a transformative effect. In 2016, when PROCOMER first began working with US component-maker MicroTech to facilitate investment in the company’s state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Coyol Free Zone, the managers all came from the States. Now, that management is 100% Costa Rican.

What does a sustainable future look like?

With its focus on business, jobs and development, PROCOMER is a natural fit for the UN’s SDG 8 – the promotion of sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

“At PROCOMER, our commitment to sustainability, innovation, and exceptional human talent enables us not only to align with the Sustainable Development Goals, but also to create a thriving environment for companies aiming to make a global impact,” says López.

“Here, economic growth and environmental stewardship go hand in hand, offering a unique model for a more prosperous and responsible future.”