The Uruguayan government makes a more than positive balance for its tour in the US and highlights the arrival and interest of large companies and the potential for new investments to arrive in the country in the technological, audiovisual, financial and pharmaceutical industry. The Executive Power had the opportunity to have direct contact in the last hours with executives of Microsoft, Netlfix, Facebook, Google, Amazon, Pzifer and Citibank, among others.
In dialogue with The Observer From the US, the Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining, Omar Paganini, highlighted the round of contacts and their results.
In Los Angeles, Minister Omar Paganini spoke with senior executives from Netflix and Amazon and with MPA (Motion Picture Association —Warner, Paramount, Disney, Sony, Universal—), looking for these companies to increase their audiovisual productions in Uruguay. Thanks to the benefits of the Uruguayan Audiovisual Program (PUA), a commitment by the national government, and the health status of the country during the pandemic, lAudiovisual production tripled in 2021 compared to 2019 to US$ 84 million in exports that spilled over into various sectors of activity.
The minister also maintained contact with Meta (Facebook). “Their main proposal was very specific: they are making a very large investment in what they call the metaverse, which is a virtual reality platform. According to the minister, The idea is that Uruguayan and regional companies can participate in a platform that the technology giant plans to develop on the LATU campus.
Secondly, Uruguay will host Microsoft’s new artificial intelligence and internet of things laboratory. The The announcement was made this Thursday after the meeting held by the President of the Republic, Luis Lacalle Pou (virtually), with a Microsoft delegation led by Rodrigo Kede Lima, the company’s president for Latin America, and where Minister Paganini and the ambassador to the United States, Andrés Durán, were also present. Its about first laboratory in Latin America and the third outside the United States, joining the one in Shanghai and Munich, Presidency reported.
Paganini explained that the idea is similar to the Meta, that is, Microsoft will set up a platform so that companies (local and from the region) can develop applications.
“We are talking here about things that require a lot of new technology, such as the artificial research that this Microsoft venture is going to be involved in,” the chief said.
The hierarch indicated that the idea is that this laboratory is set up on the LATU campus before the end of the year; there you can have a more concrete idea about the amount of the investment.
Pfizer investment survey and waiting for Google
On the US tour, the Minister of Industry revealed that he had a meeting with his Health counterpart, Daniel Salinas, cwith executives of the pharmaceutical multinational Pfizer where the possibility of investing in Uruguay was on the table. “We are still in an exploratory stage,” Paganini said.
On the other hand, the US bank Citibank showed its willingness to be part of the financing that the energy reconversion will require both in the ecological and environmental agenda, the minister commented.
Meanwhile, on Thursday’s close, Lacalle Pou is expected to maintain virtual contact with the president of Google, Sundar Pichai. The company has different fiber optic projects with the country and has been waiting for a long time for the confirmation of its landing in Uruguay. “We know that they (by Google) are somehow prudent to advertise and make decisions,” Paganini recalled.
