Paraguay and Japan formalized a non-reimbursable cooperation agreement worth US$24 million to build and equip a space technology center on the campus of the National University of Asunción (UNA) in San Lorenzo. The facility is expected to train professionals and expand the use of satellite data in agriculture, environmental monitoring, land management, disaster prevention and public-policy development.
The document was signed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano and Hajime Takasago, resident representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the organization that will administer the funds. Japanese Ambassador Katsumi Itagaki, representatives of the Paraguayan Space Agency (AEP), Senator Eduardo Nakayama and Deputy Juan Añazco, chair of the Chamber of Deputies' Foreign Relations Committee, also attended the ceremony.
The specific agreement enables implementation of the project set out in the Exchange of Notes signed by the two governments in Asunción on March 10, 2026. Paraguay's Congress approved the instrument on June 23, following its initial approval by the Senate. The deadline for completing construction and fully launching the center's operations has not yet been disclosed.
The Space Technology Utilization Center will cover approximately 3,400 square meters across four levels, on a two-hectare site within UNA. Space Lab will focus on the design, development and integration of small satellites and nanosatellites. GeoLab will process and analyze geospatial data applied to agriculture, risk management, land-use planning and natural-resource monitoring.
Ramírez Lezcano said the initiative would help train researchers, professionals and students and keep the knowledge produced in this field in the country. For the government, the ability to process satellite information could support decisions on agricultural production, natural resources, environmental risks and public planning.
Takasago presented the project as a continuation of space cooperation between the two countries, which has already resulted in the development and launch of GuaraníSat-1, Paraguay's first satellite. The AEP plans to launch GuaraníSat-2 in the final quarter of 2026. Paraguay and Japan have stated that their goal is to develop national capacity to generate, process and use satellite information and turn the country into a regional space technology hub.