Read the Conversation
Meeting highlights:
- Bridging MedTech and Talent: SMD was created to bridge the talent gap in Costa Rica’s fast-growing medical device sector in response to industry demand for talent trained in the specific, regulated requirements of the industry.
- Compliance and Workforce Readiness: The company is focused on developing workforce capabilities in compliance, problem-solving, critical thinking, and hands-on product and process development.
- Integration of Advanced learning tools in Training: SMD is integrating Advanced learning tools, including AI, into its programs to enhance learning experiences, improve efficiency, and ensure practical relevance in a tech-driven industry.
- Tailored, Applied Learning Solutions: SMD’s programs are 100% applied and immersive, designed to replicate real manufacturing environments and shorten the talent ramp-up time.
- Customer Validation and Impact: The training has been validated by numerous leaders in terms of relevance and application to day-to-day needs. Having great feedback, such as the material content, has served as a reference for troubleshooting issues, underscoring the program’s practical value.
EF: What is your vision for SMD learning, and what are your strategic priorities for 2025 in Costa Rica's evolving sector?
SR: Costa Rica’s medical device industry has grown rapidly. I’ve been involved with the medical devices field over the past 18 years., It’s been incredible to witness the rise of the medical device industry and see how it has positively impacted the country.
But with that growth comes a challenge and opportunities: we need to develop more skilled talent with specific knowledge for this industry. The medical device industry is highly regulated—something not typically taught at university. While efforts are underway to influence academic curricula, such changes take time. That’s why we saw an opportunity that resulted in the establishment of the School of Medical Devices almost five years ago, to bring industry knowledge closer to people and help them transition from sectors like agro, food, or electronics into MedTech.
We were recently accredited by IACET, the global authority for continuing education and training. This means we can now offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs) that support professional accreditation. It’s a big milestone for us, as accreditation has always been a goal. With this accreditation, the School of Medical Devices joins more than 600 leading organizations worldwide – including Harvard Graduate School, ASQ, NIST, OSHA and ASME - all recognized for meeting the highest international standards in continuing education and lifelong learning. We didn’t want to be just another player; we want to stand out and aim to expand further into the U.S. and other regional markets. Gaining international accreditation was a strategic move to build trust and credibility for high-quality standards in education.
Our vision rests on three pillars. First, expanding reach into markets like the U.S., Mexico, and the Dominican Republic, which CNN recently spotlighted as an emerging MedTech hub. Second, continuing to enrich our programs’ quality through ANSI standards while ensuring a real application of industry practices and regulations during learning. Third, continuing to enhance our learning resources with advanced tools like avatars, interactive simulations and collaborative environments, fostering deeper engagement
We don’t rely solely on lectures; our programs are application-based. Like the German educational model, we believe in preparing people through hands-on experience. For example, we recently added H5P interactive tools to gamify complex training in statistics. The feedback has been outstanding; we were recognized as interactive, fun, and effective. We’re also expanding who we serve. While our core has been medical devices, we’ve recently entered pharma and have just completed our first pharma process training. Now, biotech may be next.
I’ve also had the opportunity to participate in an IFC global webinar on talent and Industry-led training. One striking insight is that 70% of companies in Latin America report they can’t find qualified talent in massive numbers. In many cases, companies have limited time or capacity to develop full-blown training programs from scratch. They need to focus on scaling operations and launching products. We help them by accelerating the learning curve, equipping people with the tools to contribute from day one, and building a strong talent base ready for the industry.
EF: What do you think will be the most important areas to develop in education? And what areas are most in demand right now to build a talent force that supports the science ecosystem in Costa Rica?
SR: When we look at the needs of the industry, one of the biggest gaps is preparing students and engineers well enough in critical thinking and problem-solving. We see this consistently in the classes we deliver; those skills are essential, and we need to emphasize them more. Another key area is the application of compliance requirements for developing and validating medical device products and processes. The medical device field is highly regulated, but compliance isn’t something you typically learn at university. It’s a major knowledge gap we aim to address. This represents an opportunity to strengthen industry-required competencies by addressing a gap that directly impacts compliance, quality, and innovation.
As the industry evolves, embracing AI is no longer optional. Companies are approaching us asking how to integrate AI into their workflows. Internally, we’re integrating tools like avatars, recordings that can speak any language from a script, to enhance our educational delivery. In the medical device industry, AI adoption is increasing; however, not at a quick pace due to strict regulations and the need for strong cybersecurity.
Because we come from and are part of the industry, we’re able to identify our clients’ real needs with high accuracy. For example, I recently met with a customer where the engineering director was pointing out a need related to technical writing. But after discussing and assessing the issue, it became clear the problem wasn’t precisely writing, but instead the ability of the engineers to conduct a data analysis and draw conclusions from it. I told him, “You’ll end up with nice written reports, but they’ll still be wrong or not meet your expectations.” So we advised on a broader training approach. We don’t just sell courses, we want the delivery solution that actually works. That’s why our clients keep working with us and bring more complex challenges. So far, we’ve trained over 3,000 industry professionals.
Our key differentiation, the reason why companies choose us, is that we have developed training with real-industry application that, along with our experienced instructors, creates an enriched learning environment. We also ensure, throughout our learning platform, SMD Academy, that all instructors are trained on how to teach, deliver content, and follow our standards. New instructors go through test sessions, get feedback, and may need to observe live classes before they lead their own. We even attend their first session to ensure everything aligns. If someone isn’t on board with our standards, it’s simply not a good fit.
EF: Five years from now, how do you envision SMD in Costa Rica?
SR: From the SMD perspective, our goal is to become one of the most specialized education providers in life sciences. As we expand into pharma, we’re building a dedicated curriculum similar to what we’ve created for medical devices. Biotech will likely follow, enabling us to support the broader sectors now entering Costa Rica.
We also want to become an applied training center, offering hands-on, accelerated learning. We’ve spoken with several stakeholders about setting up a facility to deliver this kind of practical training. Our audience generally falls into two groups: early-career engineers, for whom we already have a full curriculum, and more senior engineers, for whom we’re now working on advanced training to help them be more effective in their roles.
Geographically, we’re looking beyond Costa Rica. We see strong potential in the Dominican Republic, which is a fast-growing cluster, and in Mexico, especially near the U.S. border, where much of the industry is concentrated. The U.S. presents a different challenge, requiring more investment and credibility. That’s why we’re exploring partnerships with universities to build trust and facilitate student exchange programs. Our broader vision is to expand our reach while continuing to integrate advanced learning tools. That’s a constant process as technology is evolving rapidly, especially with AI.
Costa Rica’s role in the global MedTech industry is now critical. A shutdown here would affect the availability of key medical products worldwide. Over the last 20 years, I’ve seen this industry grow dramatically. When companies like Johnson & Johnson arrive, they bring not just operations but entire supply chains, which are often larger than their core business.
As part of the medical device cluster, we work closely with others in the ecosystem. One of the biggest opportunities is building a critical mass of talent without driving up labor costs. If we start competing for the same talent, costs rise, and we lose our competitive edge, especially compared to countries like the Dominican Republic. Their cluster is not as big as the one in Costa Rica, but they’re moving fast and could catch up with the right investment.
Another key area for Costa Rica is R&D. We see more companies now bringing R&D operations here, which is a game-changer. Manufacturing can be transfered anywhere—Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines—but if you embed high-value functions like R&D locally, it becomes harder to relocate.
Ireland is a great example. Their success in MedTech is partly due to their strong R&D presence. Manufacturing there isn’t just about output; it’s backed by deep capabilities. Costa Rica is starting to follow that path. We’re seeing the first layer of “sustaining” R&D arrive, and the next step is new product development. That transition is closer than people think. However, unlike manufacturing, the R&D talent pool is much narrower, and we need a tailored strategy to grow it. Having led R&D myself, I know we can deliver that value. As Costa Rica’s industry continues to grow and evolve, we’re positioning ourselves to support that transformation and keep the country competitive in the global landscape.
EF: Do you have a final message for our readers?
SR: From our perspective, developing talent with the right skills and knowledge is essential for business growth. I always tell our clients: you can train people internally, which is a solid strategy, but it often means your engineers spend time teaching instead of focusing on high-impact work. That’s where we come in. Our programs are fully applied and designed to reflect real-world manufacturing environments. They help accelerate the learning curve by immersing participants in practical scenarios. Even the questions and challenges that come up in their daily roles are often addressed during training.
I genuinely love teaching and wouldn’t have started this business if I didn’t believe in sharing knowledge. Knowing we’re making a real difference in people’s work, skills, and confidence is incredibly rewarding, and it’s exactly what we’ll keep doing to support the industry in this region.
