Costa Rica and Microsoft announced Wednesday the signing of a memorandum of understanding that will allow to modernize and improve government services, as well as promote technological innovation and enhance digital transformation in the country.
The Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology and Telecommunications (MICITT) indicated in a press release that the objective of the agreement is to improve the services offered by state institutions, as well as to promote technological development for the benefit of Costa Rican society.
This strategic alliance is an excellent mechanism to encourage and enhance the development of skills and training in digital skills of the Costa Rican population, which allows the improvement of the employability profile and the generation of talent in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), which has an impact on the development of the person, his family, his community and the country as a whole, said MICITT Minister Paula Bogantes.
As explained by the authorities, the memorandum provides the basis for collaboration in areas critical to Costa Rica’s technological development. In addition, it proposes to work both on the promotion of digital skills and competences of the population as well as in the digital transformation and interoperability of government systems with a special focus on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital skills and competences, among others.
This collaboration between Microsoft and MICITT not only seeks to strengthen and promote digital transformation so that state institutions provide better services to their citizens, but will also make it possible to continue to provide a significant contribution to the country by taking advantage of the digital and security technologies that are changing the way we communicate, interact and work, said Microsoft’s country manager in Costa Rica, Ineke Geesink.
In the area of digital skills development, both sides hope to support the promotion of STEM vocations through Microsoft Learn Career Connected. This programme will provide training and training opportunities to improve employability and talent in technological areas, as well as concrete actions to strengthen diversity and equity in this area.
In the field of digital transformation and interoperability, work will be done on the optimization of resources through workshops for public employees, the establishment of a consultation repository with official documentation and articles that will facilitate the self-training of civil servants.
While on the subject of artificial intelligence, the proposal is to develop workshops and trainings to share their principles responsibly.
This article has been translated from the original which first appeared in El Mundo