Lighting solution provider Sylvania has opened a high-tech laboratory for innovative lighting products design and manufacturing in Costa Rica.

Sylvania has invested US$ 1million to build Sylvania LAB, which will offer spaces for R&D, Project Engineering and Products and Quality Control for the luminaires that are exported to South America and Central America, claimed Tiago Pereira de Queiroz, General Manager of Feilo Sylvania Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico.

(Image: Sylvania)

With more than 20 high-tech equipment, it is expected that the laboratory will speed up the testing processes of products designed in the country, as well as the verification of imported products. Sylvania was the first private company to operate a laboratory in the region and thus has brought some unique equipment into Central America.

Four areas are addressed in Sylvania LAB to facilitate specific luminaires for different industries including photometric, electrical, thermal measurements and mechanical testing. "Sylvania LAB will allow us to develop products for the specific needs of our customers from different sectors throughout the region, relying on local talent, promoting the use of LED technology and reducing delivery times," said Pereira de Queiroz.

The investment made in the laboratory is complemented by US$ 2.5 million for the construction of the new manufacturing plant in Costa Rica, which will begin operations in 2019. The new factory will create 100 local jobs and host a wide space for LED products manufacturing. Sylvania expects to expand the production capacity in Costa Rica to meet the growing demands of the market.

Jorge Sequeira, Managing Director of The Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE), commented: "Costa Rica ranks first in innovation in Latin America according to the World Economic Forum in 2017-2018. Precisely, the capacity shown by the Costa Rican human talent helps companies like Sylvania to expand their research and development areas (R & D) by adding value to their local operations and positively impacting the country’s growth. Costa Rica’s Central Bank estimates that R & D exports, of the Free Trade Zone regime companies, were more than $ 300 million in 2017, which represents almost 10% of exports of knowledge-intensive services in FTZ that year. "