RedCLARA

RedCLARA
Name	RedCLARA
Formation	2004
Type	International research and education network
Headquarters	Bogotá, Colombia
Region served	Latin America

RedCLARA RedCLARA is the Latin American advanced research and education network that interconnects national research and education networks across Latin America to regional and global counterparts. It provides high-capacity optical backbone services, collaborative platforms, and network services linking universities, research centers, and science projects; it is a key actor in continental science diplomacy and regional digital infrastructure.

Overview

RedCLARA operates as a regional research and education backbone linking national research and education networks such as RNP, CUDI, REUNA, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Universidad de Buenos Aires and research consortia like CERN and ESnet. The organization supports high-performance computing initiatives, distributed data repositories, and real-time collaboration tools used by projects affiliated with ALMA Observatory, Latin American Observatory, Panama Canal Authority, and global facilities including Large Hadron Collider and Square Kilometre Array. Through peering and international links, it interfaces with transcontinental backbones such as GÉANT, Internet2, RedCLARA Regional Partners, and national infrastructures in countries like Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Mexico.

History and Development

The initiative emerged from collaborations among Latin American research networks and international partners following meetings that involved actors like Europan Commission, i2Coalition, Grupo Montevideo and national ministries of science and technology in the early 2000s. Formal consolidation occurred with projects co-funded by multilateral organizations including IDB, World Bank, and cooperative agreements with Fundación],] national research agencies such as CONACYT, FAPESP, ANID, and academic institutions like Universidad de São Paulo. Subsequent phases expanded optical capacity, introduced dark fiber and lambda services, and established cross-border links that connected regional points of presence in capitals such as Bogotá, Santiago, Buenos Aires, Brasília, and Mexico City.

Network Infrastructure and Services

The backbone employs dense wavelength division multiplexing and optical transport technologies, interoperating with metropolitan and national networks such as GARR, SURFnet, AARNet, and JISC. Services include high-bandwidth circuits, multicast for scientific data flows, identity federations compatible with eduGAIN and authentication services integrated with federations like SIR and institutional identity providers at Universidad de Chile, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and Universidad de la República. Application-layer offerings support videoconferencing with platforms used by Zoom Video Communications, Vidyo, and WebRTC-based systems in research collaborations with institutions like Max Planck Society, CNRS, and University of Oxford. The network also provides advanced tools for data replication used by research infrastructures such as SCinet, NERSC, and astronomy archives connected to NOAO.

Governance and Membership

Governance is structured through a board representing member national research and education networks, regional universities, and observer partners from organizations such as UNESCO, OAS, European Commission, and multilateral development banks. Membership comprises national networks and academic institutions from countries including Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Venezuela, with operational coordination among network operations centers and liaisons to global bodies like TERENA and GÈANT Association. Policy development involves stakeholders such as ministries and research councils including CONICET, CAPES, Fondecyt, and ANII.

Research and Education Applications

The backbone facilitates large-scale collaborations in fields associated with institutions and projects like ALMA Observatory, LHC, Human Genome Project collaborations in Latin America, environmental monitoring with partners such as NOAA and NASA, and biodiversity initiatives tied to museums and universities including Museo Nacional de Historia Natural (Chile) and Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales. Use cases include remote instrumentation control for telescopes at sites associated with European Southern Observatory, distributed high-performance computing clusters linked to supercomputing centers like CESGA and NLHPC, telemedicine projects with hospitals affiliated to Hospital Universitario Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá and public health research coordinated with PAHO. Educational services support MOOCs and collaborative curricula run by universities such as Universidad de los Andes (Colombia), Universidad Nacional de La Plata, and consortia like CUDI.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding combines contributions from member networks, grants from multilateral agencies such as Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank, and partnerships with regional research agencies and philanthropic entities. Strategic partnerships include technical and capacity-building collaborations with European and North American counterparts—GÉANT, Internet2, AARNet—and research organizations such as CERN, ICANN (as stakeholder in naming and addressing issues), and standards bodies like IETF. Operational support has been coordinated with national funding agencies such as FAPESP, CONACYT, ANII and regional cooperation frameworks including CELAC and Mercosur.

Category:Research and education networks