Read the Conversation
Meeting highlights:
- Company Legacy & Evolution: Micro Technologies was founded 60 years ago in New York and has been operating in Costa Rica for the past 25 years, evolving from stamping to high-precision manufacturing across sectors.
- Strategic Priorities: The company aims to become the vendor of choice in platforms involving metals, precious metals, plastics, advanced assemblies, and now in automation.
- Vision for Costa Rica: Micro seeks to influence Costa Rica’s future by promoting automation as a national standard in manufacturing.
- Talent & Inclusion: Micro is committed to increasing the participation of women in engineering and technical roles.
- Micro as a partner: The company positions itself as a strategic global partner that combines technical excellence with social impact and a long-term vision for Costa Rica.
EF: Could you elaborate on Micro Technologies' plays in the market, and how it transitioned to what it is today, and what are your current priorities?
CJ: Micro Technologies was founded in New York 60 years ago as a metal stamping company. Over time, it expanded into multiple markets, increasing the complexity of its components and subassemblies. We have supported the automotive industry for many years and, as we grew, have begun serving the industrial and aerospace sectors as well. Micro has supplied pressure-sensing components to the medical industry for over 30 years. In the last decade, Micro responded strategically to the rapid expansion of the medical industry in Costa Rica by beginning to manufacture components for that market. Today, we provide high-precision assemblies, subassemblies, and components to leading medical device manufacturers. In recent years, we launched a new automation brand, Hubotics by Micro, which delivers AI-powered solutions for visual inspection and automated assembly, helping customers improve efficiency and product quality. I joined Micro two years ago to lead operations. My focus has been on driving growth in the medical sector, improving key performance indicators, and strengthening employee engagement.
EF: How was the transition into the healthcare industry? How important are medical technology and healthcare to your business operations?
CJ: Transitioning into the healthcare industry has been a strategic and exciting evolution for us. While we continue to support the automotive sector, our primary focus has shifted toward the growing medical technology space. Being located in the heart of Costa Rica’s expanding medical device cluster gives us a significant advantage. Many of the world’s leading healthcare companies have established operations here, and this proximity allows us to not only serve their local facilities but also extend our support to their operations in other regions. This "local-for-local" approach is central to our strategy—it enables us to build on existing relationships, ensure operational consistency, and scale with trusted partners as they grow globally.
EF: What are the lessons learned from working in the automotive, aerospace, and industrial sectors that can be translated to the medical sector?
CJ: The automotive industry is highly regulated, with vehicles expected to perform reliably for many years. This demands robust risk management and an uncompromising focus on reliability. Because of the extremely low tolerance for defects, we rely heavily on automation to ensure consistent quality throughout production.
This experience uncovered a major opportunity in the medical sector, where many processes are still performed manually. Our automotive background enables us to identify automation opportunities and apply proven technologies. We began implementing AI-powered visual inspection systems and test platforms that assess functionality and dimensions—solutions that can be fully validated and measured.
These capabilities have become key differentiators, helping our medical customers improve product quality and consistency. Working under stringent automotive standards prepared us to meet the medical industry’s regulatory challenges. We apply the same disciplined approach to software validation and test method development, ensuring every AI-enabled system complies with the strictest regulatory requirements while delivering exceptional performance and patient outcomes.
EF: How responsive do you think the medical field will be to AI-powered visual inspection?
CJ: The success of automation initiatives depends heavily on leadership commitment. When the Leader of the Organization champions a project, it gains visibility, priority, and the organizational alignment needed to succeed. In contrast, efforts driven solely by engineering teams often stall without strong executive sponsorship. For AI-powered visual inspection to thrive in the medical field, leaders must actively embrace innovation, and I believe that shift is already underway.
Today’s generation of leaders is increasingly tech-savvy and open to integrating artificial intelligence into operational strategies. This mindset supports a broader willingness to move beyond traditional, labor-intensive assembly and toward scalable, automated solutions.
Automation not only improves quality but also enables responsiveness to demand by running equipment across multiple shifts with consistency. Flexibility, scalability, and efficiency are all essential for growth, and automation delivers on those fronts. This belief shapes how we approach technology adoption, ensuring that innovation aligns with both operational goals and the evolving expectations of the medical industry.
EF: How do you present yourself to the sector as a partner of choice?
CJ: We present ourselves as a partner of choice by maintaining a customer-centric mindset and building strong, collaborative relationships with our clients. Our engagement goes well beyond receiving a drawing and producing a part. We actively collaborate with the engineers to define critical parameters and explore design alternatives, such as optimizing plastic components for better resin flow, fewer defects, and easier manufacturability. This early involvement ensures components are production-ready and deliver maximum value.
A core differentiator is the technical strength of our engineering team. Having worked extensively with OEMs, I continue to be impressed by their depth of knowledge and proactive approach. They routinely analyze drawings, inspect physical parts, detect inconsistencies, and communicate directly with customer teams to resolve potential issues before they impact timelines or cost.
Rather than functioning as a transactional supplier, we aim to be a problem-solving partner. We seek to understand the broader intent behind every project—whether performance, speed, or cost—and tailor our solutions accordingly. This level of engagement earns trust and helps our customers succeed in highly competitive markets.
EF: How do you keep your team engaged, as companies invest and grow in Costa Rica?
CJ: In a competitive talent market, it’s critical to engage employees in meaningful ways and strengthen their connection to our company’s mission, vision, and values.
Talent management is a careful balance of quality, cost, and availability. The risk of running out of skilled labor—or encountering unsustainable labor costs—makes automation a strategic necessity. As the Dominican Republic builds its own industrial cluster, we must think long term. Compensation alone won’t solve every challenge. Employers must understand their workforce and offer tailored strategies that reflect generational differences, gender dynamics, and individual needs.
For instance, women who are mothers often carry a larger share of household responsibilities and may have less financial leverage. Supporting their success through flexible policies and programs is essential. At the same time, younger workers often prioritize growth and change, so we must adapt our engagement and retention strategies accordingly.
Costa Rica’s talent is a key reason global companies invest here. As leaders, we have a responsibility to protect and nurture that advantage. Our people are one of our most valuable resources, and we are committed to building a workplace culture that fosters long-term loyalty, purpose, and professional growth. This requires ongoing investment—not just in wages, but in understanding, flexibility, and genuine connection.
EF: How has your personal career journey influenced your approach to promoting gender diversity?
CJ: Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to receive trust and support from leaders who recognized my potential and gave me opportunities to lead. While my background—as an engineer with three master’s degrees, multiple certifications, and experience as a university lecturer—may seem good on paper, it was ultimately someone’s confidence in my abilities that allowed me to rise to the top of the organization.
That experience profoundly shapes how I approach talent development and gender diversity. When reviewing resumes, the underrepresentation of women—especially in senior technical roles—is still striking. Unless we intentionally address this, the imbalance will continue. I actively encourage leadership teams to ensure diversity in their interview pipelines and to clearly communicate this expectation across hiring managers.
Personally, I make it a priority that every engineering vacancy attracts a well-balanced pool of candidates. It’s not about meeting quotas—it’s about accessing the full spectrum of qualified talent. Diverse teams drive better results. At Micro, we’ve embedded this intentionality into our recruitment processes, making it a standard practice to seek out, support, and advance women in technical roles.
By being deliberate in our actions, we help build an inclusive culture where talent—regardless of gender—can thrive, contribute fully, and lead confidently.
EF: What is your final message to this audience of public and private sector investors, OEMs, and Bloomberg readers, and where do you envision the company in three years?
CJ: Across the platforms where we operate—metals, plastics, finishing, and assembly—our goal is for Micro to be the partner of choice. Our capabilities include precision work with precious metals, a strength developed through our deep roots in the automotive sector. We aim to be the preferred supplier across all the industries we serve.
Looking ahead, we are committed to supporting Costa Rica’s transformation through automation. While our components and solutions already add significant value for our customers, we see an even greater opportunity: to help shape the country’s automation journey and become a key driver of its industrial and technological growth over the next three years.
