Cuba Business and Investment Seminar

Dr. Ritter Diaz, Representative Director of JAPOLAC, participated in the Cuba Business and Investment Seminar, organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO-ITPO), the Embassy of Cuba in Japan, and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (MINCEX) of Cuba.

The seminar was held at the United Nations University headquarters in Tokyo and was attended by representatives of Japanese companies, academics, journalists, and members of other institutions.

The event began with welcoming remarks from Ms. Fumio Adachi, Head of the UNIDO-ITPO office in Tokyo, and the Ambassador of Cuba in Japan, H.E. Gisela García.

The main presentation was delivered by Ms. Lizbet Díaz, Director of Foreign Capital Business at MINCEX, who provided a detailed explanation of foreign investment projects in prioritized sectors of the country, as well as Cuba’s export product offerings. Ms. Díaz participated as a guest of the UNIDO-ITPO Delegate Program, aimed at promoting business and technology transfer for developing countries.

The seminar also featured interventions from Mr. Toyonari Yamagishi, Executive Director of the Japan-Cuba Economic Conference, and Mr. Shintaro Akiyama, Director of the Central America and Caribbean Division of the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Farewell Dinner for the Ambassador of Paraguay in Japan

Dr. Ritter Diaz, Representative Director of JAPOLAC, and his wife, attended a farewell dinner hosted by Dr. Akitoshi Sato, Director of Minami Aoyama Implant Clinic, in honor of the Ambassador of Paraguay to Japan, H.E. Raul Florentin, and his wife.

During his term, Ambassador Florentin and his wife carried out an outstanding work in promoting various aspects of Paraguayan culture in Japan.

Dr. Diaz took the opportunity to convey his gratitude to Ambassador Florentin for his support of the Japan Association for the Promotion of Latin America and the Caribbean (JAPOLAC), since its establishment in 2020.

Dr. Diaz also expressed his best wishes for their continued success in their next new assignment in Washington, D.C.

National Day Reception of Azerbaijan

Dr. Ritter Diaz, Representative Director of JAPOLAC, along with his wife, attended the National Day Reception of Azerbaijan. During the event, Dr. Diaz extended his congratulations to H.E. Gursel Ismailzada, Ambassador of Azerbaijan, and wished for the continued prosperity of the Azerbaijani people. Additionally, Dr. Diaz exchanged greetings with Mr. Natsuo Yamaguchi, President of the Komeito Party, and other distinguished guests.

Promoting Academic Cooperation between the Faculty of Medicine of Panama University and the Faculty of Medicine of Chiba University

During his visit to Panama in May this year, Dr. Ritter Diaz, Representative Director of JAPOLAC, held a meeting with Dr. Oris Calvo, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Panama University, and her team to discuss the possibility of academic collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine at Chiba University.

Dr. Calvo expressed keen interest in establishing academic cooperation with Chiba University in various medical fields. In this regard, Dr. Diaz agreed to facilitate the introduction to relevant contacts at the Faculty of Medicine at Chiba University to initiate discussions on potential areas of collaboration between both medical schools.

One of the primary objectives of JAPOLAC is to promote academic collaboration between Japanese universities and those in Latin America and the Caribbean. Through initiatives like this, JAPOLAC plays an important role in advancing academic cooperation, fostering exchanges of knowledge, and facilitating research partnerships that benefit both regions.

Meeting on Semiconductors with Professors from the Technological University of Panama

During a trip to Panama in May of this year, Dr. Ritter Diaz, Director of JAPOLAC, held a meeting with professors from the Technological University of Panama who specialize in semiconductor education. The purpose of the meeting was to exchange opinions on Japan’s strategy to revitalize the semiconductor manufacturing industry. Dr. Diaz also shared details about his recent participation in the launch of the Costa Rica Semiconductor Roadmap.

Dr. Diaz reported that Japan’s strategy aims to revitalize the semiconductor manufacturing industry in order to play a central role in the global semiconductor supply chain. To this end, Japan has allocated financial subsidies amounting to approximately 25 billion dollars (3.9 trillion yen) between 2021 and 2023. This government support has attracted renowned foreign companies in the global semiconductor industry, such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (PSMC, Taiwan), Samsung (South Korea), Micron Technology (USA), Intel (USA), IBM (USA), Applied Materials (USA), and ASML (Netherlands), among other industry leaders.

Additionally, Dr. Diaz shared details about the launch of the Costa Rica Semiconductor Industry Roadmap. This effort, driven by the presence of Intel and the partnership between Costa Rica and the United States, seeks to diversify and strengthen a more resilient, secure, and sustainable global semiconductor value chain. This partnership is facilitated by the International Technology Security and Innovation Fund (ITSI Fund), created by the 2022 US CHIPS Act. Costa Rica is not only engaged in semiconductor testing, assembly, and packaging, but is also venturing into chip design.

Dr. Diaz noted that Panama, under the educational leadership of the Technological University of Panama and the National Secretariat of Science and Tecnology, has a great opportunity to develop the semiconductor industry. Like Costa Rica, Panama has been included in the partnership with the United States to be part of a stable supply chain in the Latin American and Caribbean region. Additionally, Panama boasts an important international logistics center to support this supply chain, complementing semiconductor production in Costa Rica.

In this regard, he emphasized that Panama must transform the education curriculum to service global semiconductor companies, in the same way as Costa Rica did to attract high-tech companies like Intel. In addition, the educational model should also prepare citizens for communication with machines, including learning the language of artificial intelligence, in addition to their native language, Spanish, and English as an international communication language.

Dr. Diaz reiterated the support of JAPOLAC to the Technological University of Panama to establish links with Japanese institutions and companies related to research and development in semiconductors and other areas of technological development. In this regard, he has already approached the Faculty of Engineering at Chiba University, aiming at the training of professors and students from the Technological University of Panama in the field of semiconductors.