TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan recently launched a semiconductor training program with Guatemala as part of a broader push to support the Central American ally’s high-tech ambitions.

Twenty-eight Guatemalan students will start three weeks of intensive training on May 8, per CNA. Trainees include top university students in electrical engineering and IT, department heads, and research center directors.

While in Taiwan, participants will receive advanced instruction and visit key industry sites such as the Taiwan Printed Circuit Association and Hsinchu Science Park. The goal is to cultivate instructors who can support semiconductor talent development back home.

Taiwan Representative to Guatemala Tsao Li-jey (曹立傑) said Taiwan produces 60% of the world’s semiconductors and 90% of the advanced chips, calling the program a symbol of shared modernization goals. He described it as a step toward integrating Guatemala into the global tech supply chain.

Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Ramiro Martinez said the training program marks a new chapter in Taiwan-Guatemala relations and will strengthen Guatemala’s modernization plans. He noted that participants also see the initiative as laying the groundwork for long-term public-private collaboration.

Carlos Esquit, head of the electrical engineering department at Universidad del Valle, said the program will deepen Guatemala’s understanding of semiconductors. With Taiwan’s support, Guatemala can build the foundation for a future tech industry, he added.