Project Name：Project to Strengthen Capacity to Support Development of MSMEs (Phase II) in Paraguay

Project status：Projects in Operation

Project Description：

This project aims to assist Paraguay in the transformation and strengthened competitiveness of its industries by integrating resources from the private sector, government, and academia. The primary tasks include: 1. Improving technical counseling in key or potential industries, and 2. helping promote the small business development center (SBDC) framework to better integrate counseling resources from industry, the government, and academia.

Region：South America

Implementation Start Date：2024-01-01

Implementation End Date：2028-12-31

Project Objectives：

1. Improving technical counseling in key or potential industries.

2. Promote the small business development center (SBDC) framework to better integrate counseling resources from industry, the government, and academia.

Executing Agency：

the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MIC) of Paraguay and the Taiwan Technical Mission in Paraguay

Current Progress：

To the end of April 2026, the following activities have been completed:

1.Counseling procedures and training structures have been planned and established for the textile industry, dairy industry, and potential industries. 

2.In 2024, the project introduced advanced technologies such as 3D textile design (V-STITCHER) and organized the first “National Congress of Textile Innovation.” The project successfully assisted benchmark textile enterprises in applying 3D textile design to expand their products into major international markets, including the United States and MERCOSUR. In 2025, cumulative exports reached approximately 1.5 million pairs of jeans. The outcomes of digital transformation counseling in the textile industry were also formally presented by Minister of Industry and Commerce Marco Riquelme to the WTO Committee on Aid for Trade on April 20, 2026. 

3.The KesoPY Smart Dairy IoT System was officially launched, integrating 24 dairy cooperatives and more than 350 dairy-farming households. Since 2025, more than 600,000 liters of raw milk have been collected and sold through the system, generating household income for 326 newly established dairy-farming households. The project also facilitated stable commercial orders with major retailers for the consolidated purchase of approximately 600 kg of Paraguayan cheese per week. 

4.In October 2025, the project’s digital transformation counseling model was recognized by the United Nations Industrial Development Board and included as one of the solutions in the Global Map of Digital Economy Solutions. 

5.Through the REINVENTA innovation development initiative, the project supported eight high-potential enterprises in developing Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), generating an estimated USD 590,000 in potential business opportunities. 

6.In 2025, the project organized the annual comprehensive trade fair “Innova Connecta,” attracting more than 150 enterprises and effectively facilitating direct matchmaking between MSMEs in the textile, food, and handicraft sectors and domestic market channels, with total potential business opportunities exceeding USD 1 million. 

7.The project completed the update of the MSME counseling operation manual and organized five rounds of business counseling consultant training. More than 60 professional consultants have been trained in the textile, dairy, and potential industry sectors, and technical counseling services have been provided to a total of 180 enterprises. 

8.The project completed the organization of two “National MSME Forums.

Project Contact：Li Shan Lin

Phone：+886-2-28886137

E-mail：l.s.lin@icdf.org.tw

Projected Benefits：

Through the strengthened local industry advisory institutions under this project, 900 enterprises will be assisted, with an average gross profit margin increase of 10%.