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RedCLARA achieved a significant milestone in 2024. Beyond celebrating 21 years of work, the organization continued to strengthen its role as a key enabler of the digital ecosystem in Latin America and the Caribbean, laying the foundation for a new strategic phase to foster a more connected, innovative, and sustainable region.

The 2024 Annual Report not only highlights the year’s institutional milestones but also presents a transformative vision of how connectivity drives scientific, educational, technological, and social development.

One of the main transformative pillars was the BELLA II project, co-funded by the European Union. In its second year of implementation, the project took a decisive strategic shift, adopting a more agile and flexible expansion approach aligned with national realities through direct negotiations with governments, multilateral organizations, and the private sector.

In this new phase, the BELLA II strategy focuses on expanding purposeful connectivity, prioritizing countries such as Peru, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, and promoting co-investment models in digital infrastructure tailored to each country’s priorities and capacities.

In 2024, the cycle of the BELLA II Open Strategic Dialogues concluded with a key meeting in Mérida, Yucatán (Mexico), which helped define a regional roadmap built on active listening and multi-stakeholder collaboration. Throughout the year, BELLA II strengthened its presence in high-level international spaces such as the EU-LAC Global Gateway and the D4D Hub, reinforcing its political and technical influence on the bi-regional digital agenda.

In the field of innovation, RedCLARA hosted the second BELLA II Ideathon, focused on transforming agri-food systems in Central America and the Caribbean. It also launched the Innovation Hub and its Catalogue of Initiatives, featuring concrete proposals led by key regional stakeholders. In October, the InnovaInvest Copernicus Edition was held in Panama, bringing together entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors to boost satellite data-based solutions within the framework of the Copernicus LAC Academy.

Simultaneously, RedCLARA consolidated strategic networks such as the Latin American Telemedicine University Network (RUTE-AL), which organized 14 webinars with over 1,200 participants and experts from allied networks such as RNP (Brazil), CEDIA (Ecuador), RENATA (Colombia), CUDI (Mexico), and REUNA (Chile). Beginning in 2025, RUTE-AL will evolve to integrate the Caribbean and become RUTE-ALC.

During the year, the first testbeds of the BELLA II project were also activated, designed to experiment with high-value solutions such as HPC infrastructure and blockchain developments. In the latter field, RedCLARA and LACNet celebrated the second anniversary of the network, highlighting joint initiatives such as the Diploma Project, focused on issuing and validating digital diplomas.

In terms of cybersecurity, regional cooperation was strengthened through the EduLACSeg group, which participated in key spaces such as the EU-LAC Digital Alliance High-Level Policy Dialogue and organized training activities like the Security Baseline Bootcamp held during TICAL2024 Week.

The TICAL 2024 conference was held from December 3 to 5 in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), bringing together over 200 attendees from 19 countries under the theme "Connecting Knowledge: AI and Data as Catalysts for Academic and Social Transformation." This edition reaffirmed TICAL as the region’s leading space for sharing knowledge and experiences in technology and innovation.

“The 2024 Annual Report reflects a year of tangible achievements and strategic cooperation. RedCLARA thus reaffirms its commitment to a more interconnected, innovative region prepared to face the challenges of the digital future,” emphasized Eduardo Grizendi, Chair of RedCLARA’s Board of Directors (RNP, Brazil).

Download the 2024 Annual Report (available only in Spanish) and discover how digital transformation in Latin America and the Caribbean is already underway:
https://redclara.net/images/docs/RedCLARA-memoria-2024%202.pdf