President Santiago Peña said Paraguay should take an active role in developing artificial intelligence during the opening of the third edition of the Taiwan-Paraguay Technology Forum, held Friday the 11th in Asunción. The event continues through Saturday the 12th at the Convention Hall of the Central Bank of Paraguay, with discussions on technology applications in areas including energy, health, agriculture, logistics, finance, cybersecurity and digital government.
“Paraguay has made a clear decision: we are not going to watch from the stands; we are going to play on the field and we want to be protagonists,” Peña said. The president said the challenge is to turn artificial intelligence into productivity, more efficient public services, research, investment and higher-value-added jobs, with support for professional training and higher education.
Among the initiatives he cited is the Sovereign Artificial Intelligence Computing Center, a cooperation project with Taiwan announced after Peña’s official visit to the island in May. The first phase calls for a facility with a capacity of 10 megawatts and an estimated investment of more than US$300 million. The plan is expected to advance gradually, from a pilot center to a regional-scale computing platform and later an international one.
The project aims to combine the availability of Paraguayan energy with Taiwan’s experience in technology, innovation, semiconductors and digitalization. Computing capacity is expected to be directed toward productive sectors, public services and research. Peña described technological sovereignty as something concrete: using the infrastructure to generate productivity gains in the country.
Taiwan’s ambassador to Paraguay, Ivan Lee, said the two countries have complementary capabilities: Paraguay offers energy, a young population and entrepreneurial potential, while Taiwan contributes technological expertise and human-resources training. He also highlighted the need to advance research, data protection and cybersecurity.
Organized by the Taiwan-Paraguay Polytechnic University (UPTP) and the Embassy of Taiwan, the forum brings together national and international experts, companies, public agencies, universities and cooperation organizations. The program includes discussions on Industry 4.0, energy, digital health, smart agriculture, logistics, financial innovation, digital government and business productivity.
UPTP rector Jorge Duarte said artificial intelligence is already transforming professions, industries and decision-making. The university said it will expand postgraduate education with a Master of Engineering Sciences, recently authorized by the National Council of Higher Education (CONES), including academic exchanges with Taiwan Tech. The institution’s new headquarters is scheduled to open next year and is expected to bring academia, government and the productive sector closer together.