The BELLA II project, co-funded by the European Union and led by RedCLARA, was highlighted during the 15th ASREN International Conference, e-AGE25, positioning itself as a key component in strengthening the digital ecosystem of Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as cooperation with Europe and other regions of the world.
During the opening session, Luis Eliécer Cadenas, Executive Director of RedCLARA, presented the progress and future outlook of BELLA II, underscoring its central role in developing a more robust and secure digital infrastructure to accelerate global scientific collaboration.
‘BELLA II is the gateway to the digital transformation of Latin America and the Caribbean. It expands our capabilities and reinforces our integration with Europe, and with other regions with whom we share challenges and opportunities. Its impact is reflected in every new service, every new alliance, and every scientific community that grows stronger,” Cadenas stated.
In his presentation, Cadenas highlighted how BELLA II is expanding international connectivity through high-capacity links connecting Latin America with Europe; strengthening the research infrastructure with advanced services, testbeds, and capabilities focused on AI, data, and distributed computing; and enhancing scientific collaboration by integrating the region into global initiatives and partnerships, with regional networks such as ASREN and GÉANT. He also emphasized the importance of interoperability among regional open-access platforms and scientific repositories.
The conference brought together representatives of National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), cooperation agencies, universities, and multilateral organizations. In this setting, BELLA II was recognized as a transformative project for its capacity to expand advanced connectivity in Latin America and for its contribution to global interoperability.
Strategic cooperation with ASREN and other regions
The participation of RedCLARA and BELLA II in e-AGE25 took place at a pivotal moment for the Arab region: ASREN officially launched Tibr, the Arab Regional Open Access Harvester, developed in collaboration with LA Referencia and RedCLARA. This launch represents a significant step forward for Open Science in the Arab States and reinforces the interregional synergies strengthened through initiatives such as BELLA II.
Cooperation between Latin America, the Arab States, and Europe, driven by regional advanced networks, enables the development of digital infrastructures that facilitate data exchange, collaborative research, and the adoption of advanced services such as eduroam, federated identity, scientific data platforms, and open science tools.
The 2025 edition of e-AGE, held under the theme “Uniting Minds,” highlighted the importance of interregional digital projects for accelerating digital transformation, reducing regional gaps, and enabling more equitable participation in global research ecosystems.
