The first Business Breakfast for Services Sector, titled “Services 4.0: Driving the Next Wave of Growth,” is organized by the Costa Rican Association of Free Trade Zone Companies (AZOFRAS), with the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Agency (PROCOMER) as its strategic partner. The event aims to chart a new stage of development and innovation for the industry.
The gathering brings together over 100 business leaders and key partners and is taking place on Friday, June 27, 2025, at the Crowne Plaza Corobicí Hotel.
Through specialized conferences, participants explore fundamental topics such as the evolution of the sector, its current structure, and the global trends that are reshaping the services landscape. These changes represent unique opportunities for Costa Rica’s competitive positioning.
One of the central themes of the event focuses on how Costa Rica is strengthening the services sector through a solid “Opportunity Framework”, which promotes reskilling (training individuals with new skills and knowledge to take on different roles within the same organization) and upskilling, which consists of enhancing or expanding existing skills and competencies in one’s current role. The event also highlights key initiatives and strategic collaborations that are preparing Costa Rican talent for the challenges and opportunities of the future.
Participants will also review policies aimed at attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), examining how other countries are implementing innovative incentives aligned with the digital era and the dynamics of a globalized economy, to foster innovation, competitiveness, and sustainable growth.
Ronald Lachner, president of AZOFRAS, emphasized that the meeting represents a unique opportunity to share knowledge:
“Today, it is essential to promote the exchange of innovative ideas that will strengthen the next wave of growth in Services 4.0, driving digital transformation and the competitiveness of the sector.”
During the event, business leaders from the sector will engage in panel discussions and present success stories to showcase how companies have transformed their business models, integrated new technologies, and generated added value in an ever-changing market.
Dynamism and Quality Employment
The services sector within Free Trade Zones has experienced significant growth and is now a major driver of Costa Rica’s economy, accounting for 116,242 high-quality, high value-added direct jobs.
According to data from PROCOMER, this sector currently includes 373 companies operating under this regime, representing a 13% increase. This expansion, driven by a growing diversification of the sector, contributes to a more balanced and sustainable economic development.
Exports from these companies represent approximately 70% of all service sales abroad, underscoring their increasing importance to the national economy. These companies provide specialized and sophisticated services, including shared services centers, leasing services, business process outsourcing, software engineering, business and systems consulting, logistics services, technical support, engineering and design, call centers, among others.
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