Industry 4.0: Costa Rica’s State-Of-The-Art in relation to Technology and Value Addition

Abstract

The main objective of this investigation is to describe the current landscape of Industry 4.0 in Costa Rica. Industry 4.0 is a combination of technologies, such as robotics, big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI). Latin America has mostly focused on the development of IoT technology. Costa Rica ranks second in terms of IoT implementation, with a strong focus on environmentally sustainable innovations. New technologies emerge daily, and the IoT is among these technologies. Thus, after comparing Costa Rica with other countries and regions, there are several areas of opportunity to upscale these revolutionary technologies beyond the IoT. The government of Costa Rica and local businesses should work on a joint roadmap to upskill the population on using these technologies. Additionally, this research provides resources and opportunities for experimentation through design thinking, allowing more innovation creation based on trial and error to find the best solutions to implement to add value.