LaNIA — National AI Laboratory
Institution: National Center for High Technology
What it is
National public hub for research, training and development of AI applied to high social-impact problems: urban mobility, biodiversity, education, health and seismology. Provides data analysis, product development and spin-off services.
Verified results
Five CENAT labs (CENIBiot, CNCA, PRIAS, LANOTEC, LANBA) redirected toward AI capabilities. Partnership with IDB’s fAIr LAC reinforces the proposal.
Context
Costa Rica’s only national public proposal for an applied-AI R&D hub. It acts as a bridge between public academia (CONARE) and the State, filling a role that ENIA had assigned to the National AI Center of Excellence, still not operational.
Official source
↗ https://www.micitt.go.cr/el-sector-informa/micitt-inicia-formulacion-de-estrategia-de-inteligencia-artificialRelated projects
LINC — Community Innovation Labs
LiveNetwork of Community Innovation Labs (LINC) operated by MICITT in alliance with INDER, with 24 operational labs and 2 additional labs being commissioned to reach the target of 26. Distributed across the seven provinces with emphasis on communities outside the Greater Metropolitan Area (Puntarenas, Guanacaste, Alajuela, Heredia, among others). Equipment includes 3D printers, laser cutters, robotics kits, drones, and tools for programming, cybersecurity, and data science. The labs offer hands-on training for youth and entrepreneurs in digital technologies. The initiative is led by Minister Paula Bogantes Zamora.
Live since: 2025
CONECTA — National interoperability based on X-Road
LiveProject CRI/003 – Conecta to adopt the country interoperability model based on X-Road, the secure data-exchange platform developed and maintained by Estonia, Finland and Iceland. Coordinated by the National Digital Government Agency (ANGD), funded by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg through the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency (LuxDev), with technical assistance from Estonia's e-Governance Academy. Initial scope covers roughly 30 public institutions taking part in the diagnostic workshop and subsequent onboarding to the platform.
Live since: 2025