RNP Engineering and Operations Director Eduardo Grizendi was elected president of the Board of Directors of RedCLARA, in a meeting held on day 3/2. He replaces the Mexican Carlos Casasús, who presided the board during the last six years.

In the interview below, Grizendi speaks a little about the evolution of the international organization created in 2003, whose objective is to connect and promote collaboration among advanced academic networks in Latin America and points out the challenges he expects to face and win in the four-year mandate.

After so many years being a part of this community, how do you evaluate the evolution of the network nowadays?

We evolved mainly our sustainability model and our network. After many years of incremental evolution, about two years ago, we started great transformation of our backbone for two big reasons – the reduction of the use of third parties´ infrastructure, with the purpose to reduce costs, and the beginning of the implantation of a new generation in 100 G with own infrastructure. This new generation is being leveraged by Bella-T, the ground part of the Bella Project in South America.

What can the community expect from your management as a leader of RedCLARA until the end of the mandate?

I am very thankful for being a part of this community and it is very satisfying to be able to represent it in the board of directors of RedCLARA. I hope my management will provide continuity of the transformation we started in the last years, always with a lot of enthusiasm, energy and creativity, with no need to increase its operational cost; therefore, keeping the most important it has conquered recently, its sustainability. And keep focus on generation of more value for its member networks and consequently, for the whole academic community in Latin America.

In the next four years, what will by the greater challenges?

To complete Bella-T, in the next two years. Extend it to Mesoamerica – Central America and Mexico, taking multiple 100 G channels to this region. To activate Bella-S, also with multiple 100 G channels between Europe and South America, through the Ellalink cable. At the same time, activate a 100 G direct connection with Africa, through the submarine cable that connects the two continents. And reinforce the current member networks, bring new member networks, such as Bolivia, Panama and Cuba, and rescue some old ones, such as Peru and Paraguay, to RedCLARA.