Exploring Strategic Cooperation with Belize:Sargassum-to-Power and Talent Development for Employment in Belize.

For Sargassum-to-Power Demonstration, Community Benefit-Sharing, and a Talent Pipeline from Internships in Taiwan to Employment in Belize.

TAIPEI, Taiwan — February 4, 2026 — Ocean Star Bio-Tech Co., Ltd. (“Ocean Star”) today joined the Embassy of Belize in the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Taiwan’s Metal Industries Research & Development Centre (MIRDC) to host a joint press conference and sign a Letter of Intent (LOI) to advance strategic cooperation in Belize on sargassum (Sargassum) utilization and talent development as a pathway to employment in Belize.

The partnership is structured around three pillars: “On-the-ground Power Demonstration | Community Benefit-Sharing | Internship-to-Employment Pathway,” aiming to move the sargassum-to-power initiative from planning to implementation while building long-term local capacity.

Ocean Star recently received a Gold Award in Business Weekly’s “AI Innovation 100” (Energy Saving & Carbon Reduction category). Ocean Star stated that the Belize program integrates AIoT across the “feedstock–equipment–operations” chain, turning an environmental burden into a sustainable solution for green power and carbon management. In partnership with the MIRDC, the project will align technology export with talent development, creating a replicable and scalable model for international cooperation.

“Sargassum is often seen as a coastal burden; we see it as a strategic resource. By integrating fuel standardization, gasification-to-power, and AIoT-enabled operations, we can deliver dispatchable renewable electricity while building MRV-grade operational data. Equally important, this cooperation embeds community benefit-sharing and a practical talent development pathway to employment in Belize so the solution can be operated locally and sustained over time.”

— Mr. Po-Kun Tseng, Chief Executive Officer, Ocean Star Bio-Tech Co., Ltd.

“Belize has been on the front line of the sargassum challenge. This partnership with Taiwan offers a practical, scalable pathway to convert an environmental threat into clean energy and community value, advancing Belize’s sustainable development and resilience. It also creates opportunities for Belizeans to pursue new and innovative fields of study, with a clear pathway from training to employment back home in Belize. We welcome a results-oriented public–private collaboration that deepens long-term trade, investment, and cooperation between Belize and Taiwan.”

— H.E. Ambassador Katherine Vanessa Meighan, Embassy of Belize in the Republic of China (Taiwan)

As Taiwan’s key institutional promoter of turnkey plant export, MIRDC has drawn on its practical experience in woody biomass pellet energy turnkey projects to conduct a feasibility assessment of converting Sargassum waste to energy in Belize. Based on this assessment, MIRDC identified Ocean Star—an enterprise already equipped with critical capabilities in Sargassum processing, gasifier operation, fuel rod production, power supply, and process monitoring—as a potential technology exporter.

“Through this project, MIRDC will promote industry–academia collaboration to train students from Belize, while also actively engaging Taiwan’s diplomatic network and institutions such as the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) to secure resources, deepen bilateral cooperation, and enhance the effectiveness of technology export.”

— Chia-Ju Liu, Chairman of MIRDC

From “Sargassum Crisis” to “Energy Resilience”: Demonstration First, Modular Scaling Next

Under the cooperation framework, the program follows a three-stage approach—“Removal – Reuse – Value-Add”: upstream collection and preprocessing; midstream fuel standardization and gasification-to-power; and downstream integration with biochar and a carbon management (MRV) data framework. The system adopts a skid-mounted modular design to facilitate overseas transport and rapid deployment. The initiative is designed to start with a 100 kW minimum viable demonstration site, with modular expansion toward MW-level capacity based on feedstock availability and load demand, supporting 24/7 dispatchable renewable baseload generation. The solution can also be paired with energy storage to form localized microgrids and enhance resilient power supply for critical infrastructure.

Community Participation and Benefit-Sharing: Returning Clean-Energy Value to Local Communities

To strengthen social co-benefits, the project incorporates a community participation and benefit-sharing mechanism. Local community groups will participate in sargassum collection and feedstock supply, and power revenue will be returned to communities periodically based on contribution volume. Ocean Star emphasized that long-term success requires communities to be active partners—helping shift sargassum management from short-term emergency response to a sustainable operating model.

Building a “Study in Taiwan – Train in Taiwan – Work in Belize” Talent Development and Belize Employment Pathway

Talent development pathway to employment in Belize is another key pillar of the partnership. The Parties will establish a structured pathway that links study in Taiwan with training and internships in Taiwan and employment upon return. The program will align with existing scholarship mechanisms, including the MOFA Taiwan Scholarship, the Taiwan ICDF Scholarship, and the MOE Taiwan Scholarship, and will be supported by MIRDC and partner organizations through internships and hands-on training. High-performing Belizean scholarship students may have opportunities to transition into roles at Ocean Star’s operations in Belize, creating an end-to-end “education–industry–employment” Talent Development and Belize Employment Pathway loop to strengthen local green-energy capability.

A Practical Public–Private Model for Ally Cooperation

Ocean Star noted that this initiative responds directly to the needs of a diplomatic ally and integrates Taiwan’s startup innovation, national-level R&D capability, and the diplomatic network. It is positioned as a concrete example of “economic diplomacy + sustainability cooperation + Talent Development and Belize Employment Pathway diplomacy.” Ocean Star further expressed its hope that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the integrated and economic diplomacy direction championed by Minister Lin Chia-lung, will continue supporting public–private partnerships that deliver solutions which are deployable, measurable, and scalable.

The event was attended by ambassadors from Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, representatives from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), Taiwan ICDF, MOFA officials, and representatives from industry and academia.

Media Highlights (Quick Take)

• LOI signed: Ocean Star Bio-Tech CO., LTD., Embassy of Belize in the Republic of China (Taiwan), and MIRDC launched the strategic cooperation framework.
• On-the-ground power demonstration: skid-mounted modular system starting at 100 kW, scalable toward MW-level capacity, supporting 24/7 dispatchable generation.
• Community benefit-sharing: community participation in collection/feedstock supply with periodic revenue sharing linked to contribution volume.
• Internship-to-employment pathway: a structured “study–train–work” Talent Development and Belize Employment Pathway supported by MIRDC and partners.

Event Information

Event: Exploring Opportunities with Belize: Strategic Cooperation on Sargassum-to-Power and Talent Development and Employment Pathway in Belize — LOI Signing and Joint Press Conference
Time/Date: 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Venue: 1F., Room 102, No. 335, Ruiguang Rd., Neihu Dist., Taipei City (Honhui Ruiguang Plaza, Building B)

Media Contact

Ocean Star Bio-Tech Co., Ltd. | Tel: +886-2-2522-1938 | Email: info@ocean-bio.com
Press Contact: Lucy Hsu | Mobile: +886-932-865-035 | Email: lucyhsu@ocean-bio.com