Washington, DC — The Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue brought together senior leaders from government, academia, and industry across the United States and Mexico last month to strengthen semiconductor supply chains, expand tech diplomacy training, and deepen cooperation on trusted technology across the Western Hemisphere.

Held in Washington, D.C., the TechX Roundtable: Trusted Supply Chains, Chips, and Education in Mexico brought together officials from the U.S. Departments of State and Commerce, Mexico’s Secretariat of Science, Humanities, Technology, and Innovation (SECIHTI), National Technological Institute of Mexico (TecNM), Puebla Ministry of Economic Development and Labor, CONOCER Mexico and leading academic and industry professionals to coordinate on semiconductor manufacturing, trusted technology, and workforce development.

The roundtable centered on Mexico’s national semiconductor strategy, including Plan México and the Kutsari Strategic Project, which seek to expand domestic semiconductor capabilities and integrate Mexico more deeply into trusted supply chains across the Western Hemisphere. Participants discussed friendshoring, trusted manufacturing partnerships, and workforce training to strengthen the region's supply chains.

Mexican leaders joining virtually – including representatives from SECIHTI, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Chamber for the Electronic Industry, Telecommunications, and Information Technology (CANIETI) – described Mexico's focus on growing its semiconductor industry, building technology on a foundation of trust, and strengthening ties among academia, industry, and government to train the workforce that industry needs. Senior U.S. officials from the Department of Commerce and Department of State pointed to the role of trusted partnerships in securing technology supply chains, developing semiconductor talent, and responsibly exporting AI and other emerging technologies across the Western Hemisphere 

“Technology is the defining force of our time, and whether it advances freedom or empowers authoritarianism depends on the values and leadership behind it,” said Janice deGarmo, Chief Global Engagement Officer at the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue. “Mexico is an essential partner in strengthening trusted supply chains and developing the talent pipelines needed to advance secure, resilient, and trusted technology ecosystems across the Western Hemisphere.”

“Mexico is committed to building a dynamic innovation ecosystem that strengthens our scientific and technological capabilities while deepening trusted partnerships with the U.S.,” said Edmundo Gutierrez, Adviser for the Secretariat of Science, Humanities, Technology, and Innovation (SECIHTI). “Collaborations like this advance shared priorities in semiconductor development, technology training, and talent formation—strengthening innovation, economic growth, and security on both sides of the border.”

At the event, the Krach Institute signed partnership agreements with the Puebla Ministry of Economic Development and Labor, CONOCER Mexico, and the National Technological Institute of Mexico (TecNM) to expand access to the Institute’s Tech Diplomacy Academy, the world’s first online education platform dedicated to preparing leaders across government, industry, and civil society to understand how critical and emerging technologies shape national security and economic competitiveness. 

After the roundtable and signing, the Mexican delegation met with Purdue University leadership to explore cooperation on semiconductors and chip design, drawing on both Purdue's and the Mexico Kutsari Design Center's expertise in talent development, research, and innovation.

These strategic agreements also connect these institutions to the Krach Institute’s Global Trusted Tech Network, opening the door to U.S. and allied policy discussions, workshops, and roundtables. This rapidly expanding network brings together like-minded countries to promote trusted technology and counter authoritarian models. The new partnerships build on the Institute's growing presence in the Western Hemisphere—including existing work in Mexico with the Instituto para el Fomento a la Calidad, the Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas, and the University Institute of Central Mexico; with the Dominican Republic's telecommunications regulator, INDOTEL; and ongoing collaborations in El Salvador and Honduras—deepening a regional network that advances trusted technology across the Americas while supporting U.S. national security priorities.

Oakwise Consulting, a Mexico-based firm and Tech Diplomacy Academy partner, played a key role in bringing these partnerships to fruition as part of its broader effort to advance the Krach Institute’s mission to ensure technology advances freedom across Latin America and the Caribbean.

About the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue

The Krach Institute is the world’s preeminent trusted technology accelerator. As the leader in the new category of Tech Diplomacy, the Institute integrates technological expertise, Silicon Valley strategies, and foreign policy tools to build the Global Trusted Tech Network—a network of governments, companies, organizations, and individuals committed to accelerating the adoption of trusted technology and ensuring technology advances freedom.

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