Plastics Firms Fall Behind
- Details
- Category: Business
- Published on Wednesday, April 13 2011 05:53
- Written by Rod Hughes
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Plastics have been with us since the Bakelite of the 1930s. But, it appears that Costa Rica companies in this fast-changing field are still nearly in the Bakelite era.
The respected business publication El Fianciero reviewed 52 local plastic firms and found fully half of the employees had no idea of the technical basis for what they were doing. In fact, only a quarter of the companies had even a rudimentary internal research and development section in place.
This, of course, means no innovation is possible, which is why the publication found that 78% of the plastic product producers were small or medium sized. It also explains why only 10% of them export products.
The lack of specialization means that nearly the only high-value products (15%) are turned out by foreign-owned medical device manufacturers, the agency for promotion of foreign trade (PROCOMER) found. The study was made in cooperation with the national association of plastics industries ((Aciplast).
The conclusion of both organizations was that the whole industry needed an overhaul with a concerted long term plan of action.
