In April 2023, Mr. Paul Stephen, regional director of the Multilateral Chamber of Commerce and Cooperation Israel Ibero-America (now the Israel Ibero-America Chamber of Commerce), was invited by the Municipality of Santa Cruz, in Guanacaste (Costa Rica), to see first-hand the progress and projects of the Environmental Technology Park (PTA) developed by the municipality. This park, which stands as a benchmark for innovation and sustainability in the region, has been one of the key initiatives of Mayor Jorge Arturo Alfaro Orias, known as “El Gallo.”
Tour of the Santa Cruz Environmental Technology Park
During his visit, Mr. Stephen was personally guided by Mayor Alfaro Orias, who highlighted the importance of the PTA as a space designed to promote green technology and advanced environmental management.
The visit included a tour of the park’s facilities, where the various ongoing projects were presented, along with the opportunities for collaboration that could arise between the municipality and Israeli entities.
Santa Cruz is a canton in the province of Guanacaste, in northwestern Costa Rica.
Cooperation between Santa Cruz and Israel in technology and the environment
The main purpose of the visit was to show the Israeli community the potential areas of cooperation that could benefit the canton of Santa Cruz, as well as to explore possibilities for future agreements to boost technological and environmental development in the region.
Mr. Stephen expressed his interest in these initiatives and underscored the commitment of the Chamber (CILIB) to support projects that foster progress and innovation in Costa Rica.
“We want to support this kind of initiative in Costa Rica,” said Mr. Stephen. “The Environmental Technology Park represents an excellent opportunity to strengthen ties of cooperation and explore collaborations that can bring mutual benefits. We are very impressed with the work being done here and we hope to make a significant contribution in the future.”
Mayor Jorge Arturo Alfaro Orias also highlighted the relevance of this visit for the Municipality of Santa Cruz and noted that international cooperation is essential to move forward in implementing sustainable technologies and innovative environmental solutions.
“We are excited about the possibility of establishing closer collaboration with Israel. This visit represents an important step toward creating partnerships that can strengthen our efforts in the technological and environmental fields,” said Alfaro Orias.
Meetings and seminar with the local business community
In addition to the tour of the PTA, Mr. Stephen and Mayor Alfaro Orias held a series of meetings in which they discussed possible joint projects and strategies to maximize the impact of future cooperation initiatives.
The visit also included participation in a seminar with local experts and representatives of the business community, who had the opportunity to present their proposals and discuss possible areas of collaboration.
The Municipality of Santa Cruz and CILIB welcome the visit and the openness both parties have shown to exploring new avenues of cooperation. Both institutions consider that this meeting marks the beginning of a new stage in the relationship between Costa Rica and Israel, with the potential to generate benefits in technological development, innovation and sustainability.
The Chamber and Costa Rica
The Israel Ibero-America Chamber of Commerce (CILIB) is a private, international, non-profit organization, founded in Israel in 2019 and registered in Florida (USA), that works in foreign trade, training and cooperation between Israel, 22 Ibero-American countries, Andorra and the USA. See the country profiles for Costa Rica and Israel, or review the Chamber’s cooperation agreements.
