 Although located in a rich coffee-growing region, Santa Rita is known for its high technology industries, being home to one of Brazil's foremost electronic, telecommunications and computer engineering colleges, INATEL - Instituto Nacional de Telecomunicações, which was founded in 1965.As to the Escola Técnica de Eletrônica "Francisco Moreira da Costa" , the first electronic technical school of Latin América, it was founded in 1959 by lady Sinha Moreira.The city possesses today more than 110 companies of technological bases.