Thanks to the presence of some of the most innovative companies in the world today Costa Rica has become a major player in high-technology manufacturing, medical technology manufacturing, professional services and believe it or not, the development of advanced plasma rocket propulsion technology for space travel!

Since the year 2000 the number of companies in Costa Rica's manufacturing sector has increased by 83%, Costa Rica's medical devices sector has increased by 288% and the services sector has increased by 1,760%

Ad Astra is a rocket propulsion company dedicated to the development of advanced plasma rocket propulsion technology. It was started by Franklin Ramón Chang Díaz a Costa Rican-American engineer, physicist and former NASA astronaut who is a veteran of seven Space Shuttle missions. His ambitious goal is to revolutionize space transportation and exploration, through the development and commercialization of the VASIMR® engine and related technologies.

The American Institute of Aeronautics...

Being on the road most of the time has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are that my Master Franchises include what would be considered the paradise of the Western Hemisphere. In expanding the ERA brand in Latin America, one needs to immerse oneself into a wide variety of cultures. The first stop, Belize, is a wonderfully confusing and synergistic mix of Native Indian, Spanish, African, and even Western European, Chinese, and very traditional Mennonites from North America. Now, this is only the beginning. There is this magical mix of Creole, Mayan, Rasta, and Punta with the native Mayan as an underlying current. I find it to be the most interesting mix of friendly, joyful, and intelligent people along the Caribbean. Ask the typical Belizean and they will have a rather interesting and mixed explanation of being both Caribbean and Central American. Ask Spanish Central America and they will be “on the fence” if Belize is included in Central America.

For the record, technically and geographically,...