2. Knowing Costa Rica
One shared vision…
• Peaceful country
- Constitutional abolition of the army in 1948
- Perpetual Neutrality Declaration in 1983
- Peace with the Nature – Global Proposal lead by Dr. Arias
- Forever Costa Rica – Is national conservation initiative - sustainability
• World leader as eco – tourism destination/paradise
• Leader on sustainable energies and environmental conservation policies
• Democratic and transparent society, with low poverty and unemployment
rates
• A high-tech developing economy
www.procomer.com
3. Strategic Formula
Costa Rica's Digital Technology (DT) industry is favored by several conditions
that promote the attraction of investments and the companies development:
• Strategic location: Proximity to North and South America
• Time zone +/- 2 hours from the main cities of the continent
• Political and economic stability
• Friendly business environment and low risk for direct investments
• Excellent quality of life
• Attractive investment incentives
• Strong telecommunications infrastructure
• Important companies are already established in Costa Rica such as: Intel,
Oracle, IBM, HP, Sykes, Microsoft, among others
• Export diversification and low dependency on traditional production
• Digital Technology (DT) products and services are not subject of limitations
of distance or transportation
• Well-educated, creative, innovative, English-speaking and highly productive
human resources
www.procomer.com
4. Our Value Proposition
• Proven Track Record
• Qualified Work Force
• Strategic Location
• Excellent Business Climate
• Quality Infrastructure
• Quality of Life
www.procomer.com
5. Proven Track Record
In the last 5 years, Costa Rica has seen a consistent
growth in its service exports…
Service Exports
US$ billion
2.3
2.0 2.0
1.8
1.7
1.3
1.1
1.0
0.8 0.8 0.8
0.7 0.7
0.6 0.7
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Tourism Services (Not FTZ) Services (FTZ)
Source: CINDE, BCCR, and
Service exports (excluding tourism) have grown at a rate of 14.5% annually since 2006. PROCOMER, 2011
www.procomer.com
7. Qualified Work Force
Costa Rica is considered one of the countries with the highest
human development index worldwide
The HDI combines normalized
measures of life expectancy,
literacy, educational attainment,
and GDP per capita for countries
worldwide.
Source: United Nations. Human Development
Report 2010.
www.procomer.com
8. Qualified Work Force
Key factor… EDUCATION!!
Our educational system is ranked 22nd which is the highest in Latin America
www.procomer.com
15. Strategic Location
Costa Rica has an exceptional access to the world’s
greatest markets...
... And also we have an exceptional access to the world’s greatest markets...
www.procomer.com
16. Excellent Business Climate
• Costa Rica provides the highest
standards of living, economic, and
political stability in Latin America
• Same level of protection for foreign
and local investors
• Equal treatment as per constitutional
rights and duties
• No restriction on land ownership
• Intellectual Property Rights in line with
WTO regulations
• Consolidated democracy and steady
economy
www.procomer.com
22. “Costa Rica:
Green and Smart 2.0”
Alexander Mora / alex@tecapro.com - +506
83723800
Chairman, Chamber of Digital Technologies
23. The ICT business eco-
system definition
Regulation &
Infrastructure
Digital Components Framework ICT Direct
Manufacturing Services
Government & NGO
Academia & Research
ICT
Community
ICT Enabled
Software Development Services
Financial Community
24. Growing number of ICT
companies
Digital components Direct
Manufactures Services
25 575
firms 1205 companies
550
Companies
Firms 65 companies
Enabling
Software Services
Development
Fuente: Camtic & Procomer (2008)
25. Direct employment of digital
sector
Digital Components Direct
Manufactures Services
15,050 22,705
employees employees
5% of
CR’s labour
force 31,050
12,600 employees
employees
Enabling
Software Services
Development
Sources: Camtic & Cinde
Note. Commercial companies, sportbooks and telecommunication operators are not
incluced.
26. Sales: local and international
markets (as of 2010)
Digital Components Direct Services
US$1926 M US$7922M
0% local 59% local
100% exports 41%exports
US$3,456 M
US$517 M
US$221 M
5% local
59% local
95% exports
41% exports
Enabling
Software Services
Development
Sources: Camtic, Procomer & Cinde (2007).
27. Costa Rica’s ICT Sector in
brief…
• US$3.5 billion of annual sales:
10.6% of GDP
• US$2,8 billion of exports:
28.8% of total
• 72,755 + direct employment:
5% of country’s labor force
30. in ICT… mostly
•
complimentary
Digital Democracy (E-inclusion approach -Lead by MICIT-)
•
approaches…
E-Administration (Dedicated to the evangelization, plan and
pushing e-Gov projects –Lead by Inter-institutional High
Commission and the E-Gov National Secretariat-)
• Digital Costa Rica (Focused on E-Government -Lead by private
partners under coordination of Club de Investigación Tecnológica-)
• Century 21st. Agenda (Research, development and innovation
approach –Lead by private partners from academia, research and
industry communities under coordination of Asociación Estrategia
Siglo 21st.-)
• Costa Rica Green and Smart! (Devoted to develop a world class
ICT business ecosystem –Lead by CAMTIC- with many participants
from Government, Academia, local industry and MNCs)
31.
32. Associative … always context
driven
Global competition: 2012
250 companies agreeing to be part of a
Regional Federation of ICT (* To be defined)
Regional competition: TIC: 2003
90 companies transformed Caprosoft into CAMTIC,
Cámara de Tecnologías. de Información
y Comunicación
HR and Quality Challenges: 1998
16 companies founded CAPROSOFT,
Cámara de Productores de Software
Intellectual Property Protection: 1993
8 companies created Asociación para
la Protección de la Propiedad Informática (APPI)
33. Task Forces Tactic…
delivering the strategy
Networking IP
Export Communication
Promotion Infrastructure
@-Government
HR: Public
Universities CAMTIC
HR: Digital Signature
Technical
Education
Corporate Social
HR:Private
Responsibility
Universities
Angel – Venture
HR: Human Capital
Development
34. Strategic Priorities
Enterprises
capacity building
Developing a sustainable
ICT business eco-system
35. within a
national competitiveness
strategy
Economic Sector
Cross-fertilization business
enabling tool
36. Success Digital Business & Exporting Model
Global Marketplace
International International
Reputation Linkages
World Class National Industry
Enterprises & Clusters / Competition & Cooperation
Sustainable ICT Business Eco-system
People / Educational Platform / Networking
Research-Development-Innovation
Financial Capital / Infrastructure
Institutions / Regulation
Vision / Strategy
Private & Public, Academia Authors: Heeks and Nicholson
37. How does Costa Rica stand
•
and compete?
Human development centric national approach
• Open to talent immigrants and the still standing “land of
opportunity aura” or “Switzerland of the Americas”
• Strong “country brand” based on:
- quality of living,
- renewable energy availability
- low business and personal risks
- geographic, time-zone and market proximity to US
- cultural and “geo-strategic” alignment to Western’ ideals
- flexible labor and foreign currency markets
- Modern legislation: IP, telecomm (!!), digital signature…
• Strong “country brand” in ICT US industry, improving in EU
• Some smart ideas:
- Attracting talent
- Digital product: CAFTA, hopefully in EU-CAAA and others
38. Costa Rica Free Trade
Agreement Policy
• Strong national trade policy based on free trade agreements
• Free Zones as key attractors of FDI
• Current (1,900 million): • In progress
– Canada – European Union
– Central America • Expected (400 Million):
– Chile – Norway
– Mexico – Switzerland
– Panama – Colombia
– Dominican Republic – Brazil
– CARICOM – Qatar
– USA – Egypt
– China
– Singapour
A platform to potentially reach a 2.7 billion people market!
- Strong message to MNCs
- Good potential to local SMEs
42. Confidential - Fair Play Labs 2012
About Fair Play Labs
•Game studio conveniently located in Costa
Rica founded in 2006
•Beautiful and peaceful country known for its
efforts in nature conservation and
restoration, and as a strategic IT hotspot
•With ample experience in all areas of game
development
43. Confidential - Fair Play Labs 2012
Lines of Business
‣Developing licensed and proprietary Intellectual
Property
‣Providing Outsourcing services:
‣Game Design
‣ArtSoftware
‣Music and Sound Effects
62. Confidential - Fair Play Labs 2012
WackyLands: Green
Platform iOS
Client Fair Play Labs
Project type Internal Project
63. Confidential - Fair Play Labs 2012
Cube Head
Platform iOS
Fair Play Labs/White
Client
Heart Media
Project type Co-development
64. Confidential - Fair Play Labs 2012
WackyLands: Boss PSP
Platform Sony PSP
Client Fair Play Labs
Project type Internal Project
65. Confidential - Fair Play Labs 2012
Big Boss
iPad/TouchPad/Xperia
Platform
Play
Client Fair Play Labs
Project type Internal Project
66. Confidential - Fair Play Labs 2012
Near-shoring Country Advantages
•Highly skilled workforce
•Cost competitive
•Close proximity to the US
•Political stability
•Same time zone - U.S. Central/Mountain
•Business culture affinity
•High English literacy
