The BELLA II Open Strategic Dialogue held on 8 April in Yucatán, Mexico, was organized by RedCLARA and the University Corporation for Internet Development (CUDI), with the support of the Autonomous University of Yucatán (UADY) and the Internet Exchange Services Yucatán (IXSY). It was attended by representatives from government, business, and academia.

Under the theme "The Role of Universities and R&E Networks in Building a Viable, Sustainable, and Impactful Digital Future in Latin America and the Caribbean," the dialogue aimed to discuss the strategic vision of universities, businesses, government, civil society, and R&E networks in the face of the challenges of the digital economy. The discussion aimed to develop a roadmap that would enable them, within the framework of the BELLA II project and the EU-LAC Digital Alliance, to make a significant contribution to the sustainable development of a data-driven, people-center digital ecosystem that drives innovation, knowledge management, and bi-regional socio-economic development.

Expert participants included Mark Urban, Director of International Cooperation, Academic Relations, and Communications at RedCLARA; Moisés Torres, Director General of CUDI; Salma Jalife, CEO of Centro México Digital; as well as the Rector of the Autonomous University of Yucatán, Carlos Alberto Estrada Pinto, and the Director General of Internet Exchange Services Yucatán, María del Carmen Denis Polanco. They gave presentations on, among other things, the objectives and tasks of BELLA II and its potential benefits for Mexico.

The event continued with the formation of working groups to discuss topics such as financing and sustainability, governance, innovation, data and computing capacity, digital skills and human capital development, and connectivity.

The BELLA II Open Strategic Dialogue II in Mexico was the fifth in a series of events launched in 2023, having already visited Belgium, El Salvador, Panama, and Colombia, to facilitate and promote the participation and co-investment of actors in the digital ecosystem. The BELLA II Project, implemented by RedCLARA and funded by the European Union, aims to reduce the digital divide and support the development of the necessary infrastructure to consolidate and expand a digital ecosystem of science, technology, education, and innovation in Latin America and the Caribbean. This initiative is one of the pillars of the EU-LAC Digital Alliance.

For further information, please visit https://bella-programme.eu/index.php/es/