AGP Executive Report

Extreme Weather: Asunción’s fist-sized hail highlights the risks of intense storms; meteorologists point to extreme heat, humidity and El Niño as factors behind the powerful updrafts that form giant hailstones. Community Technology: Japan is providing ₲1.777 billion (about US$300,000) for Paraguayan projects, including a water system designed to serve 4,000 people and a new classroom and laboratory. Border Tech: Brazil has launched a palm-vein biometrics pilot at the Friendship Bridge crossing to speed pedestrian processing; scans identify repeat passages, not travelers’ civil identities, during testing. Hydro-Powered Computing: HIVE plans to expand its Yguazú data centre to 400 MW using Itaipú power, with an AI facility planned for 2027. Smart Infrastructure: The Bioceanic Bridge will get weather stations to track wind, rain and temperature alongside structural sensors, with vehicle-safety alerts planned for a later phase.

Extreme Weather: Asunción’s recent hailstorm produced stones up to 12 centimetres across. Meteorologists link the unusually large hail to intense heat, humidity and El Niño conditions. Border Technology: Brazil has begun testing palm-vein biometrics at the Friendship Bridge, aiming to speed pedestrian crossings and improve customs checks; during the pilot, scans track repeat passages but aren’t linked to travelers’ identities. AI and Data Centres: HIVE plans to expand its hydro-powered Yguazú campus to 400 megawatts and develop AI infrastructure. Separately, Columbia University researchers remotely trained language models on HIVE’s GPUs in Asunción, testing cross-border computing over a 5,000-mile fibre connection. Bridge Monitoring: The Paraguay–Brazil Bioceanic Bridge will get weather stations to record wind, rain and temperature alongside sensors tracking structural movement, helping engineers assess its performance. AI Research: A Paraguayan-led team won a South Korean conference award for work using AI to classify visual elements in trademarks, supporting a platform for Paraguay’s intellectual property office.

Digital Infrastructure: HIVE Digital plans to add 100 MW at its hydro-powered Yguazú campus, bringing capacity to 400 MW. The company is also planning an AI computing facility for 2027, building on its Paraguay-based GPU work with Columbia University. Border Technology: A palm-vein biometrics pilot at the Friendship Bridge aims to speed pedestrian crossings and improve customs controls. During testing, the biometric identifier tracks repeat passages but is not linked to travelers’ civil identities. Smart Infrastructure: The Paraguay-Brazil Bioceanic Bridge will add weather stations to monitor wind, rain and temperature, alongside sensors tracking structural movement. Local AI Research: A Paraguayan-led team won a South Korean conference award for research supporting an AI tool to classify trademark imagery for Paraguay’s intellectual property office.

Climate Monitoring: The Paraguay–Brazil Bioceanic Bridge will use two weather stations to track temperature, rainfall and wind, alongside existing sensors that measure strain and movement in the structure. The data will help engineers check its performance; vehicle safety alerts may come later. AI Research: A Paraguayan-led team won a top paper award in South Korea for AI research that could speed up trademark searches at Paraguay’s DINAPI. The project, backed by KOICA, runs through March 2027. Computing: HIVE says Columbia University researchers remotely trained AI models on GPUs in Asunción, testing whether Paraguay-based computing can support research thousands of miles away. Digital Heritage: Paraguay’s Cinematheque Foundation stabilised a fragile 1932 Chaco War film and a 1983 documentary, safeguarding them for future digitisation.

AI Research in Paraguay: HIVE Digital Technologies remotely ran large language model pre-training on its Nvidia A40 GPUs in Asunción for Columbia University researchers in New York, showing serious training can work across continents via fiber links. Local Tech & Innovation: A Paraguayan-led team won Best Paper at PlatCon-26 in South Korea for AI that improves classification of figurative elements in trademarks, supporting an AI-assisted DINAPI platform. Gaming Cybercrime: NordVPN reports a surge in Roblox phishing, with scammers using ready-made pages, disguised links, and stolen-account checkers to hijack accounts. Currency Modernization: Paraguay’s Banco Central unveiled redesigned guaraní banknotes (all six denominations) with updated security features, rolling out gradually in 2027 while older notes stay valid. Education & Urban Planning: Universidad Central del Paraguay is pushing a US$200M University District in Asunción’s historic center, aiming to attract about 5,000 foreign students. Climate & Risk: The 2026 Super El Niño is intensifying, with Argentina facing heightened flood and agriculture impacts as peak conditions are still ahead. Health/Pharma: Knight Therapeutics launched TAVALISSE in Brazil for chronic immune thrombocytopenia, expanding its Latin America hematology portfolio.

AI & Research in Paraguay: A Paraguayan-led team won a Best Paper Award in South Korea for AI that helps classify figurative elements in trademarks, feeding an AI-assisted trademark platform for DINAPI (FP-UNA/ICT Innovation Centre, KOICA funding) aimed at faster, more consistent searches. Compute Across Borders: HIVE Digital Technologies ran large-language-model pre-training with GPUs located in Asunción while Columbia researchers worked remotely from New York over ~5,000 miles of fiber, with results strong enough for a NeurIPS submission. Digital Infrastructure Resilience: A Paraguay-focused thought experiment asks what happens if internet drops for 24 hours, using INE data showing 85.4% of Paraguayans went online in 2025—highlighting how deeply daily services now depend on connectivity. Public Tech & Training: Paraguay inaugurated its first robotic surgery training centre, signaling new capacity for medical tech education. Science, Weather & Risk: Argentina faces heightened flood risk as the 2026 Super El Niño intensifies, with NOAA models expecting further warming. Local Tech & Society: Paraguay unveiled redesigned guaraní banknotes with updated security features, rolling out gradually in 2027. STEM & Careers: Paraguayan racer Joshua Dürksen was confirmed for Hitech Grand Prix in the 2027 FIA Formula 2 season.

AI Compute for Paraguay: HIVE Digital Technologies ran large language model pre-training on Nvidia A40 GPUs located in Asunción, with Columbia University researchers operating remotely from New York over ~5,000 miles of fiber. Local Innovation: A Paraguayan-led team won Best Paper at PlatCon-26 in South Korea for AI that improves classification of figurative elements in trademarks, supporting DINAPI’s AI-assisted trademark examination platform. Education & Urban Tech: Universidad Central del Paraguay is pushing a US$200M “University District” in Asunción’s historic center, aiming to bring 5,000 foreign students and repopulate the area. Disaster & Resilience: A major hailstorm hit Asunción, with tennis-ball-sized hail damaging cars and homes and leaving thousands without electricity. Connectivity Reality Check: A thought experiment on what happens if Paraguay loses internet highlights how deeply daily life now depends on online services. Sports Tech Spotlight: Paraguayan driver Joshua Dürksen was confirmed for Hitech Grand Prix’s 2027 FIA Formula 2 season. Cultural Tech & Access: TEDIC’s “All Male Panel” exhibition in Asunción uses a large photo archive to spotlight gender gaps in public expertise.

Asunción Politics: Civil engineer Soledad Núñez won Asunción’s municipal election, ending Colorado Party control and signaling a major shift in Paraguay’s political center. AI & IP Tech: A Paraguayan-led team won Best Paper at PlatCon-26 in South Korea for AI that helps classify figurative elements in trademarks, feeding an AI-assisted DINAPI platform funded by KOICA. Education & Urban Tech: Universidad Central del Paraguay is pushing a US$200M “University District” in Asunción’s historic center, aiming to bring 5,000 foreign students and revive the area. Severe Weather: A massive hailstorm hit Asunción with tennis-ball-sized hail, damaging cars and homes and leaving thousands without electricity. Gender Policy Debate: Latin America’s push to counter gender-violence laws is raising fresh fears for women’s rights. Trade & Climate Tech: New technologies could cut livestock emissions in Argentina’s Salado Basin by 15%, a reminder of how ag-tech and climate targets are converging across the region. Internet Dependence (Paraguay): A thought experiment asks what happens if Paraguay loses internet for 24 hours, highlighting how deeply daily life now runs on connectivity. Tech in Paraguay’s Orbit: Taiwan plans to help Paraguay’s diplomatic allies adopt electric buses, extending regional smart-mobility supply chains. Culture & Heritage Tech: Paraguay conserved rare Chaco War film records, including a 1932 nitrate documentary, and prepared them for future digitisation. Sports Tech: Paraguayan racer Joshua Dürksen was confirmed for Hitech Grand Prix’s 2027 FIA Formula 2 season.

EU–Mercosur Trade Talks: The EU’s interim deal with Mercosur, provisionally applied since May 2026, is setting standards for new agreements as both blocs negotiate with partners like Canada, Japan, Australia and India—while environmental safeguards remain a key question. Climate Tech for Livestock: An INTA study for Argentina’s Salado Basin says livestock management upgrades could cut greenhouse-gas emissions by about 15% through 2040, using health, grazing, pasture recovery and genetic selection. Paraguay’s Internet Dependence: A new thought experiment asks what happens if Paraguay loses internet for 24 hours, highlighting how deeply daily life now relies on online payments, messaging and QR services. Paraguay Tech & Culture: Paraguay’s Cinematheque Foundation restored two fragile Chaco War audiovisual records, including a 1932 nitrate documentary, preparing them for future digitisation. Local Innovation Spotlight: Paraguay’s Joshua Dürksen was confirmed for the 2027 FIA Formula 2 season with Hitech Grand Prix. Science Communication & Inclusion: TEDIC opened an all-male expert photo exhibition in Asunción, challenging who gets visibility in public decision-making. AI Finance Funding: Jeeves raised $110M to scale its stablecoin-native banking platform, expanding stablecoin card coverage across more countries.

Digital Resilience in Paraguay: A new thought experiment asks what happens if Paraguay loses internet for 24 hours, using INE data showing 85.4% of people (about 4.43M) went online in 2025—highlighting how payments, messaging, deliveries, and QR systems would stall nationwide. Cultural Tech & Preservation: Paraguay’s Cinematheque Foundation restored two fragile Chaco War audiovisual records (a 1932 nitrate documentary and a 1983 TV documentary), stabilizing originals and preparing them for future digitization. STEM & Inclusion: A 14-year-old Colombian inventor built a wearable vibrotactile device that turns birdsong into arm vibrations so deaf children can “identify” different species by feel. Local Innovation in Health: Nexalin Technology signed a definitive distribution and local manufacturing deal with Inovanexa for Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Ecuador and Venezuela, starting with an initial 100-device commercialization plan. Environment & Data: Brazil’s INPE reports Amazon wildfires jumped 74.2% in September 2026 vs last year, linked to strengthening El Niño drought conditions. Science Communication: TEDIC’s “All Male Panel” exhibition opens in Asunción, using 1,500+ photos to spotlight the absence of women experts in public decision-making spaces.

Paraguay Tech & Society: Paraguay’s Cinematheque Foundation has conserved two fragile Chaco War audiovisual records—a 1932 nitrate documentary and a 1983 TV documentary—so they can be digitized and preserved for future research. Local Culture & Gender: TEDIC opened “¿Dónde están las mujeres? All Male Panel” at the Centro Cultural de España in Asunción, using 1,500+ photos to spotlight the absence of women experts in public decision-making. Sports Tech Pathway: Paraguayan driver Joshua Dürksen was confirmed as a Hitech Grand Prix driver for the 2027 FIA Formula 2 season, after a standout run including double F2 wins at Monza. Connectivity Risk (Paraguay): A thought experiment asks what happens if Paraguay loses internet for 24 hours, using INE data showing 85.4% of people aged 10+ went online in 2025. Health & Medtech (Regional): Nexalin Technology signed a definitive exclusive distribution and local manufacturing deal with Inovanexa for Paraguay and other South American markets, starting with an initial 100-device commercialization program.

Paraguay Digital Resilience: A new thought experiment asks what happens if Paraguay loses internet for 24 hours, using INE data showing 85.4% of Paraguayans (about 4.43 million people) went online in 2025—highlighting how daily banking, delivery, and QR payments depend on connectivity. Cultural Heritage Conservation: Paraguay’s Cinematheque Foundation restored two rare Chaco War audiovisual records, including a 1932 nitrate documentary and a 1983 TV documentary, preparing them for future digitisation at IPAC LAB. STEM & Sports: Paraguayan driver Joshua Dürksen was confirmed as a Hitech Grand Prix driver for the 2027 FIA Formula 2 season. Gender & Public Expertise: TEDIC’s “¿Dónde están las mujeres?” all-male panel exhibition opens in Asunción with 1,500+ photos collected since 2017, questioning who gets visibility in decision-making. Health Tech Deal: Nexalin Technology signed a definitive exclusive distribution and local manufacturing agreement with Inovanexa for Brazil and South America, explicitly including Paraguay, with an initial 100-device commercialization plan. Climate & Nature: Paraguay’s Bat Day coverage spotlights the mbopi (bat) conservation push, while another story examines the Atlantic Forest’s San Rafael landscape as a key biodiversity area underfunded protection.

Robotic Surgery in Paraguay: Paraguay inaugurated its first Robotic Surgery Training Center (CER Training Center) at Universidad Católica in Asunción, offering online prep plus simulated and hands-on robotic-assisted training for experienced surgeons, with animal-model practice via a partnership in Villeta. Digital Life & Resilience: A Paraguay-focused thought experiment asks what happens if the country loses internet for 24 hours, using near-universal online access (85.4% of Paraguayans online in 2025) to show how payments, messaging, deliveries, and QR systems would stall nationwide. Health Tech Expansion in the Region: Nexalin Technology signed a definitive exclusive distribution and local manufacturing agreement with Inovanexa for Brazil and South America, explicitly including Paraguay, with an initial 100-device commercialization plan and a 10-year framework. Climate & Conservation Finance: A Paraguayan enterprise explores new conservation finance possibilities in the Atlantic Forest, where San Rafael is highlighted as a key biodiversity area facing underfunded enforcement. Biodiversity & Research Networks: Paraguay’s Bat Day coverage spotlights the Guaraní “mbopi” and the work rebuilding the national bat-conservation programme, connecting local research to regional and global networks. AI & Global Tech Signals: Google unveiled Gemini 4 Argon, while regional AI adoption talks in the Caribbean and Latin America (via the IDB) push for shared strategy, investment guidelines, and responsible rollout. Stablecoin Banking Funding: Jeeves raised $110M to scale stablecoin-native banking and launched a wallet with payouts across 190 countries, reflecting continued growth in crypto rails for cross-border payments.

Stablecoin Finance: Jeeves announced a $110M equity round to scale its stablecoin-native banking platform, plus a proprietary stablecoin wallet with payouts to 190 countries, as stablecoin activity jumps to $1.5B annualized and the stablecoin card footprint expands to 35 countries including Paraguay. Connectivity Reality Check: A Paraguay-focused thought experiment asks what a 24-hour internet outage would break, using INE data showing 85.4% of Paraguayans went online in 2025—highlighting how daily payments, QR checkouts, and messaging depend on the network. Local Health Tech: Paraguay inaugurated its first Robotic Surgery Training Center (CER Training Center) at Universidad Católica’s Health Sciences Campus, training experienced surgeons with online prep, simulation, and hands-on robotic practice. Biodiversity & Conservation: Paraguay’s Bat Day coverage spotlights the national bat conservation programme, using Guaraní “mbopi” to rebuild outreach and connect local science to regional networks. AI Policy in the Region: The IDB reports The Bahamas hosted talks with major tech firms on safe, responsible AI adoption across Latin America and the Caribbean, including a proposed regional strategy and investment guidelines.

Paraguay Tech & Health: Paraguay inaugurated its first Robotic Surgery Training Center (“CER Training Center”) at Universidad Católica’s Health Sciences Campus in Asunción, aiming to train experienced specialist surgeons with online prep, simulation, and hands-on practice (including porcine models via an agreement with UNA’s Veterinary Sciences). AI Policy in the Region: The IDB says The Bahamas joined high-level talks on accelerating safe AI adoption across Latin America and the Caribbean, discussing a shared regional AI strategy, investment guidelines, and workforce and government readiness. Local Industry Deal: Nexalin Technology signed a definitive exclusive distribution and local manufacturing agreement with Inovanexa for Brazil and South America, explicitly including Paraguay, with an initial 100-device commercialization plan and a Brazil-based manufacturing requirement after early purchases. Environment & Science: A Paraguayan enterprise is exploring conservation finance options in the Atlantic Forest’s San Rafael area, highlighting how underfunded enforcement threatens one of the region’s key biodiversity remnants. Science Culture: Paraguay’s Bat Day coverage spotlights the Guaraní “mbopi” and the rebuilding of the national bat conservation programme.

AI Policy & Regional Tech: The IDB convened leaders from 12 countries with Google, Anthropic, Microsoft, Nvidia and Meta to discuss a Latin America–Caribbean mechanism for safe, responsible AI adoption, covering regulation, digital infrastructure, data systems and workforce training. Health Tech in Paraguay: Paraguay inaugurated its first Robotic Surgery Training Center (CER Training Center) at Universidad Católica in Asunción, using online prep, simulation and hands-on practice (including porcine models) to scale robotic-assisted surgery skills. Neurotech Deal for the Region: Nexalin Technology signed an exclusive distribution and commercialization agreement for Nexalin Sync™ across Brazil and South America, starting with a 100-device program and a clinical pilot within 90 days. Conservation & Science Communication: Paraguay’s Bat Day coverage highlights “mbopi” (Guaraní for bat) and the rebuilding of the national Bat Conservation Programme, linking local identity with regional scientific networks. Digital Payments Expansion: Jeeves raised $110M to scale stablecoin-native banking and expanded stablecoin cards to include Paraguay among new markets. Public Health Travel Rule: Costa Rica will require a yellow fever vaccination certificate for travel to several new destinations at risk, including Paraguay, starting Oct 1.