El Salvador and Panama will host the next BELLA II Open Strategic Dialogues in October and November, respectively, to contribute to the consolidation of the digital ecosystem, the generation of innovative value proposals, and the promotion of meaningful connectivity at the national and regional levels.
The dialogues are part of the implementation process of the BELLA II project and are a continuation of the first event of this kind that took place in Brussels, Belgium, in July with the participation of 48 experts who discussed cooperation and financing strategies, value-added services, key enablers of the digital ecosystem and alternative governance models for public-private partnerships within the framework of the project.
The Dialogues' methodology emphasizes open and meaningful communication, deep listening, and collective exploration of complex issues.
In El Salvador, the workshop "Strategic dialogues for the co-design and co-construction of the national digital ecosystem for education, research, and innovation" will be held on October 9 and 10 at the Hotel Real Intercontinental. The first day will bring together national stakeholders and the second day will bring together regional stakeholders.
The objective will be to explore strategies and enabling practices for purposeful and meaningful connectivity between different stakeholders: academia, industry, government, the European Commission, multilateral organizations, financial institutions, and civil society. This data-driven, human-centered digital ecosystem is envisioned as a driver of innovation and knowledge management, as well as digital transformation and bi-regional socio-economic development.
The dialogue will also contribute to consolidating a shared strategic vision of the digital ecosystem, identifying national opportunities, fostering collaboration, and developing practical solutions and roadmaps.
Universities and research centers, government agencies, national private banks, multilateral public banks, companies, the EU delegation, DG-INTPA, and representatives of RedCLARA will participate in the meeting.
As part of the meeting agenda, participants will also learn more about the BELLA II project, its relevance within the EU-LAC Digital Alliance, objectives, scope, and key concepts.
As BELLA II is one of the four pillars of the EU-LAC Digital Alliance, the activity will precede the policy dialogues framed by this Alliance and coordinated by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in El Salvador, which will take place on October 11 and 12.
One month later, on November 15, another Strategic Dialogue will take place in Panama City, in the framework of the TICAL2023 conference, the flagship conference of the National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) of Latin America and the Caribbean and the ICT Directors of Universities. Representatives from all over Central America are expected to participate in this dialogue, contributing to the consolidation of the regional digital ecosystem and promoting people-centered digital transformation.
Strategic dialogues will continue in other cities in Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean, ideally ensuring that the achievements of BELLA II have a long-term impact and that all stakeholders in the resulting digital ecosystem build sustainable relationships and act as smart networks capable of driving continuous learning, innovative education and research solutions, and sustainable socio-economic growth.
