[1] The TEC is a national autonomous institution of higher education, dedicated to teaching, research and extension in technology and associated sciences.

[7] Rafael Ángel González Chaves a public school teacher from San Ramón was one of the first proponents of creating an institute of technology in the country.

[1] At the time president Figueres indicated the need to emulate the successful models from other technology schools such as TEC de Monterrey, from whom he indicated he would request assistance in order to kickstart the project.

[9] The institute began functioning from a small house in downtown Cartago,[9] and its first educational programs started in March 1973.

[10] A few years later thanks to a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank, the institute moved to its current main campus in Dulce Nombre district.