Brooklyn Park, MN — April 13, 2026 — Switchback Medical, a medical device contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), announced it has signed a lease for a new 18,000-square-foot facility in the Coyol Free Trade Zone in Costa Rica, marking a significant expansion of its global manufacturing and development capabilities. The site will include a 3,500-square-foot cleanroom.
The facility is designed to support medical device component manufacturing with the ability to expand capabilities over time. Development and product transfers will start immediately, followed by manufacturing and ISO 13485 certification later this year. Switchback will be supporting both existing customer programs and new development initiatives.
The Coyol facility represents the first phase of Switchback’s broader Costa Rica strategy, with a second, larger site planned in the Evolution Free Trade Zone, expected to open in 2027. Together, these facilities will create a scalable footprint to support near-term manufacturing demand and long-term growth.
Switchback will leverage its design expertise to provide quick-turn development support for in-country R&D and PD teams in Costa Rica, helping to accelerate innovation within the region’s growing medtech sector. By combining responsive development capabilities with scalable manufacturing, Switchback is uniquely positioned to support customers earlier in the product lifecycle—an approach that sets it apart from traditional manufacturing-focused operations in the region.
“Our Coyol facility allows us to quickly deliver critical components such as extrusions, braided shafts, and more, while we continue building out our Evolution facility, which will serve as our top-level assembly production site in Costa Rica,” said Brady Hatcher, CEO of Switchback Medical. “Together, these capabilities enable us to support customers from early development through full-scale manufacturing, both locally and globally.”
“The announcement by U.S.-based company Switchback Medical reflects the confidence that global companies place in Costa Rica’s capabilities to develop advanced manufacturing in the life sciences sector. Our country has consolidated one of the most robust and dynamic medical devices ecosystems globally, supported by highly skilled human talent, strong productive linkages, and a proven track record in innovation and quality. This is complemented by highly competitive incentives, as well as a strong and well-articulated institutional framework that actively supports companies throughout their establishment and growth processes. Investments of this kind not only strengthen our ecosystem and expand the sector’s value chain, but also position Costa Rica as a strategic destination for innovation, specialized production, and the generation of quality employment”, said Manuel Tovar Rivera, Minister of Foreign Trade.
“Costa Rica has consolidated a highly competitive medical devices ecosystem, which in 2025 led the country’s exports with a 31% share, reflecting the sophistication and value added that this sector brings to our economy. The case of Switchback Medical, is part of this dynamic environment, combining attractive operating conditions, specialized talent, and a strategic location that enables proximity to the U.S. market”, said Laura López, CEO of the Trade and Investment Promotion Agency of Costa Rica (PROCOMER).
Over the next decade, the Coyol and Evolution facilities are expected to expand Switchback’s role in interventional device manufacturing, supporting additional development programs, manufacturing transfers, and scaled production. The expansion will initially focus on thermoplastic extrusion and precision components, with future plans to expand into advanced extrusion technologies and full device production.
About Switchback Medical
Switchback offers single-source solutions for contract design and manufacturing needs. From component design and manufacturing to full device packaging & sterilization, Switchback simplifies the supply chain to reduce development costs and overall time to market.
They serve all minimally invasive interventional device markets and have special interests and capabilities in neurovascular and structural heart applications. Design and manufacturing capabilities are not limited to, but include balloon catheters, complex delivery systems, and biomedical textile devices. Learn more at https://switchbackmedical.com/ and connect on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/switchback-medical
