LINC — Community Innovation Labs
Institution: Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology and Telecommunications
What it is
Network 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.
Verified results
+4,500 people trained; 70% female participation; 24 operational labs and 2 being commissioned (target 26).
Context
Institutional investment reported at over USD 2 million in technological equipment, plus a ₡2,000 million framework agreement with INDER funding infrastructure and operations. Coverage across all 7 provinces and 70% female participation mark an unusual equity floor for state-led tech programs, with explicit focus outside the Greater Metropolitan Area.
Official source
↗ https://delfino.cr/2026/04/micitt-reporta-inversion-de-mas-de-2-millones-en-red-de-laboratorios-de-innovacion-comunitariaRelated projects
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
AgroBoost: AI and sensors for precision coffee farming
LivePrecision coffee-farming program combining drones, field sensors (humidity, temperature, pH, soil electrical conductivity) and artificial intelligence to map crops and optimize decision-making for 86 coffee growers in the Los Santos region (Dota canton). The captured data feeds AI models that produce per-farm agronomic recommendations and inform irrigation, fertilization and pest management decisions. AgroBoost is the scale-up of the Project One pilot originally developed by Coopedota.
Live since: 2025
LaNIA — National AI Laboratory
PilotNational 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.
Live since: 2026