US, Japan commit to helping PH develop critical and emerging technologies, train new talents
The US and Japan made a commitment on Thursday to help the Philippines develop critical and emerging technologies and train talents on cutting-edge technologies.
“We intend to pursue a new semiconductor workforce development initiative, through which students from the Philippines will receive world-class training at leading American and Japanese universities, to help secure our nations’ semiconductor supply chains,” the leaders of the Philippines, US, and Japan said in a Joint Vision Statement.
“This initiative complements the expansion of semiconductor investments in the Philippines that would strengthen supply chain resiliency among our three nations. Furthermore, through the CHIPS and Science Act’s International Technology Security and Innovation Fund, the United States and the Philippines plan to coordinate our efforts to develop and expand the Philippine semiconductor workforce to strengthen the global supply chain,” the Joint Statement said
To harness the talents and ingenuity of citizens in seizing cutting-edge technological opportunities, the US, subject to Congressional notification, and Japan, with support from Japanese industry, intend to provide at least US$8 million for Open Radio Access Network (RAN) field trials and the Asia Open RAN Academy based in Manila.
This is aimed at enabling future commercial deployment and an open, interoperable, secure, reliable, and trusted information communications technology ecosystem in the Philippines.
This builds on prior US and Japanese investment of over US$9 million for these projects in the Philippines, with the Japanese government also seriously considering further investments for the potential commercial deployment of Open RAN technology in the Philippines, including from the Global South Future-Oriented Co-Creation Project.
At the same time, the joint vision statement said US and Japan welcome the Philippines’ plan to pilot Open RAN in its national broadband program and free Wi-Fi project.
“The United States and Japan commend the Philippines’ commitment to develop a national Open RAN policy framework, reaffirming the Philippines’ endorsement of open, interoperable, and trusted architectures,” the joint statement said.
“This year, our three countries look forward to holding the first trilateral Cyber and Digital Dialogue to explore additional cooperation opportunities,” according to the Joint Statement.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., US President Joe Biden, and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida forged a stronger trilateral alliance on Thursday as they vowed to protect the Indo-Pacific region to secure a better future for all. Presidential News Desk
