RedCLARA highlights BELLA’s strategic value for Ibero-American cooperation at a SEGIB seminar

At the seminar ‘Towards the Ibero-American Summit’, RedCLARA’s Executive Director, Luis Eliécer Cadenas, presented BELLA as a concrete infrastructure for cooperation between Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, capable of connecting knowledge, innovation and opportunities for development.

Invited by the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), on 6 October, RedCLARA took part in the seminar ‘Towards the Ibero-American Summit. What can the European Union contribute to the Ibero-American Summit framework?’. The organisation, which brings together the National Research and Education Networks of Latin America and the Caribbean, was represented by its Executive Director, Luis Eliécer Cadenas, who spoke at the session dedicated to innovation in education and business, alongside leading figures from the fields of cooperation, academia and the private sector.

Cadenas emphasised that RedCLARA is not merely a regional infrastructure, but “the organised cooperation of the National Research and Education Networks of Latin America and the Caribbean”. He explained that this collaboration connects the scientific and academic capabilities of each country and transforms them into regional and global impact, through a neutral, not-for-profit platform.

As a tangible example of this cooperation, Cadenas highlighted BELLA, coordinated by RedCLARA and co-funded by the European Union. The RedCLARA executive explained that in 2021 the BELLA programme established the first direct submarine connection between Europe and Latin America, via the EllaLink cable between Fortaleza and Sines, securing capacity for research and education for 25 years. “In its new phase,” explained Cadenas, “BELLA II is expanding advanced connectivity to other countries, fostering experimental environments in artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, cybersecurity and other emerging technologies.”

Cadenas pointed out that this infrastructure has tangible effects on society and the economy: it enables universities and research centres to collaborate with Europe in areas such as health, climate, biodiversity, astronomy and the energy transition; it facilitates access to Earth observation data; and it strengthens innovation, knowledge transfer and the internationalisation of businesses. He also argued that investment in academic connectivity multiplies opportunities for technology start-ups and for sectors such as agriculture, energy, fisheries and tourism.

Ahead of the forthcoming Ibero-American Summit, RedCLARA’s executive director proposed recognising the National Research and Education Networks and their regional cooperation as strategic infrastructure for digital transformation. “No country moves forward alone; we all move forward together. BELLA demonstrates that cooperation between Europe and Ibero-America works when it translates into shared infrastructure and strong national networks,” he said. The challenge, he added, is to harness this “motorway” to innovate, create jobs and make better decisions for societies across the region.

Watch the video of the event at: https://www.youtube.com/live/cS71lcC1mr8?si=kGSIusF1MtHA_jN4&t=10223