Swiss-based WISeKey International Holding Ltd announced that it has signed a cooperation agreement with Argentina’s National Investment & Trade Promotion Agency in a move to set up a Blockchain Center of Excellence in Buenos Aires.

The agreement aims to position Argentina as a major hub of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The agreement marks the beginning of a strategic collaboration in which the Agency will support WISeKey throughout the process to establish the Blockchain Center of Excellence as well as secure the investment in the country, the release stated.

“Due to its highly qualified human capital, with outstanding technical skills, Argentina offers strong fundamentals to become a major hub of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We are very excited to cooperate with WISeKey for this new project which is expected to have a significant contribution to the creation of quality jobs in the country and is an indication of the great economic and social potential that data centers related projects have in Argentina,” Andrés Tahta, Executive Vice President of the Argentina National Investment and Trade Promotion Agency, stated.

The global presence of WISeKey in Argentina has already started with the localization of its Cryptographic Root of Trust (RoT) in the territory. The WISeKey RoT Argentina localization is the first milestone to a more ambitious plan to establish a Blockchain / 4th Industrial Revolution Center of Excellence in Buenos Aires that is expected to become operational in Q3 2017.

The Blockchain Center will provide a blockchain platform to the country as well as foreign enterprises, thus facilitating the rapid adaptation of onboard blockchain-based solutions and services. In the past few months, WISeKey has announced the establishment of Blockchain Center of Excellences in the USA, China, India and Africa and the move to establish in Argentina makes it first LATAM country to host this nascent technology.

In order to support this blockchain endeavor, the company has announced several strategic partnerships with global enterprises including SAP, MasterCard, Microsoft and CenturyLink, among others. It is also working with blockchain experts, government, and academia in order to address most relevant developments in blockchain with practical, standards-based solutions.

The Buenos Aires Blockchain Center of Excellence will be conducting research, rapid pilot prototyping, co-creation of use cases and IP creation on the blockchain technology and its platforms.