At the EU-LAC Digital Alliance High-Level Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence and Platform Governance in São Paulo, Brazil, RedCLARA presented the progress of the BELLA II project, with a particular focus on the implementation of its High-Performance Computing (HPC) testbed.
Adopting an ecosystemic approach, the BELLA II project will extend RedCLARA's backbone infrastructure to five new countries (Peru, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador) and deploy technology experimentation spaces, including HPC, blockchain, and cybersecurity. These environments are designed to accelerate applied research, innovation, and technology validation in academia and industry.
"Artificial intelligence-based applications require not only large volumes of data but also stable, low-latency connectivity and access to high-performance computing. That is why the BELLA II approach is ecosystemic," said Luis Eliécer Cadenas, executive director of RedCLARA.
One of the first use cases of the testbeds involved a project led by Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG). This project involved conducting molecular modeling simulations focused on bioremediation of contaminated waters using the BELLA II HPC testbed resources. Thanks to these tools, the behavior of nanoparticles derived from shrimp processing could be modeled with high accuracy, thus demonstrating their potential for removing pollutants. Studies of this kind typically take months but can be completed in weeks with the help of HPC tools.
The results showed how advanced computing can accelerate scientific development and its application to the region's challenges. According to Cadenas, this approach paves the way for other strategic applications, such as precision medicine, climate modeling, and value chain optimization using AI.
This topic was discussed during the Policy Dialogue's panel on AI and Supercomputing Infrastructure, which brought together Costa Rica's CeNAT, the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre, SCALAC, and other key institutions.
The session also emphasised the vital role of SCALAC (the Advanced Computing System of Latin America and the Caribbean) as a key partner of RedCLARA and BELLA II. Providing the HPC testbed service at SCALAC computing centres in nine countries is consolidating a resilient, distributed regional infrastructure and reinforcing a collaborative model that aims to facilitate access to high-level computational resources and strengthen technical competencies in areas such as bioinformatics, simulation, and data analysis across the region.
Carlos González, RedCLARA's services manager, points out that the BELLA II HPC testbed is shaping up to be a scalable and sustainable service. Its roadmap for 2025 includes formal membership of regional centres, optimisation of access and support processes, and a sustainability strategy based on user diversification and alignment with priority scientific challenges, such as those relating to public health, agriculture, energy, and biotechnology.
This deployment not only broadens access to supercomputing but also actively contributes to bridging the technology gap. As Cadenas emphasised, the BELLA II testbeds will become a fundamental pillar of the region's scientific and economic future within the framework of robust, human-centred, bi-regional cooperation.
The High-Level Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence and the Governance of Online Platforms was held in São Paulo, Brazil, from July 1 to 3, 2025. It was organised by the European Union and the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, in collaboration with the International Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI), under the auspices of UNESCO, as well as GIZ, CEPAL, and the Brazilian Centre for Network Information (NIC.br).
The event brought together government representatives, representatives of multilateral organisations, representatives of research centres, and representatives of academic networks from both regions. They discussed strategies for people-centred artificial intelligence, the role of supercomputing infrastructure in scientific innovation, and the importance of bi-regional collaboration in reducing technological gaps and building a more equitable and sustainable digital ecosystem.
