European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) launches EU-LAC Supercomputing Network for AI to expand infrastructure across Latin America and Caribbean.

The European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) has launched the EU-LAC Supercomputing Network for AI as part of the EU's Global Gateway strategy, strengthening cooperation between Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and the European Union on high-performance computing and artificial intelligence. The initiative will support digital transformation and the development of a more integrated regional HPC ecosystem.

A panel for the network took place during the CARLA conference in Córdoba, Argentina on September 22, 2026, marking the official kick-off. The two-year program, which commenced in August 2026, will focus on seven Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Uruguay.

The initiative addresses critical challenges including fragmented HPC capacity, uneven access to computing resources, investment needs, and skills gaps. It will support greater regional integration and stronger links between LAC and European HPC ecosystems, advancing the objectives of the AI continent action plan while aligning with the EU-LAC Digital Alliance and the EU's Global Gateway Strategy.

The consortium brings together seven leading European HPC and research institutions: the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (Spain) as coordinator, the Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (Portugal), Jülich Supercomputing Centre (Germany), CSC-IT Center for Science (Finland), the Institute of Information Science (Slovenia), the National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (France), and CINECA (Italy). The network is expected to expand over time to include more countries participating in the EU-LAC Digital Alliance.

The initiative will benefit from financial support from the European Union and alignment with national initiatives by Spain and Brazil. It will strengthen the EU-LAC partnership in advanced digital skills and technologies while creating new opportunities for researchers and industry to develop and test models, explore relevant use cases, and collaborate on shared challenges based on shared values.

Anders Dam Jensen, Executive Director of the EuroHPC JU, stated: "The EU–LAC Supercomputing Network for AI brings Europe and Latin America closer together through high-performance computing and I am confident that European expertise, infrastructure and experience will positively help in accelerating innovation and tackling shared challenges across both regions."

European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela added: "The responsible development of supercomputing and artificial intelligence can help tackle the everyday challenges faced by people across Latin America and the Caribbean, from natural hazards to health and energy. Through Global Gateway, we are bringing together our expertise to develop solutions that will help us achieve these objectives."

To accelerate digital transformation, the initiative will build partnerships enhancing interoperability and technical alignment with the European HPC ecosystem. Key activities include policy dialogues to facilitate national and regional coordination and support the federation of HPC resources in LAC and their future interconnection with the European HPC ecosystem. Capacity building will strengthen expertise and skills in HPC, AI, and machine learning through training programs, workshops, and an annual EU-LAC Summer School on HPC and AI, with a focus on increasing the participation of women and underrepresented groups.

The initiative will develop four joint EU-LAC use cases demonstrating the practical application and societal benefits of HPC and AI collaboration, addressing climate modeling, energy efficiency, natural hazard prediction, health, and large language models. The program will promote the strategic integration of the BELLA high-speed connectivity infrastructure to enable secure and efficient data exchange, paving the way for the future federation of HPC resources in the region. BELLA is a joint initiative connecting the research, education, and digital data networks of Europe and Latin America via the Ella link, a 6,000 km submarine cable.

The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking is a joint initiative of the European Union and participating countries that pools resources to make Europe a global leader in supercomputing. It has deployed 12 world-class supercomputers across Europe, including JUPITER in Germany and Alice Recoque in France, Europe's first exascale systems. Researchers, industry, and public-sector users throughout Europe can access these systems through EuroHPC Access Calls to advance scientific research and develop applications with industrial and societal impact.

The EuroHPC JU is overseeing the implementation of 19 AI factories across Europe, complemented by 13 AI Factory Antennas, to offer free, customized support to SMEs and startups. The organization is also building Europe's quantum computing infrastructure by integrating European quantum technologies with its supercomputers, while investing in research and innovation across the entire European supercomputing value chain—from processors and software to applications and skills. Following the adoption of Council Regulation (EU) 2026/150, the EuroHPC JU's mandate has been expanded to include the deployment of AI Gigafactories across Europe, for which the JU recently launched a call for tenders, as well as the advancement of quantum technologies.

The EU-LAC Digital Alliance is a bi-regional initiative promoting digital transformation and innovation through collaboration between Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean as part of the EU's Global Gateway Strategy. The Digital Alliance operates across five pillars: political and regulatory dialogue, connectivity, private sector engagement, satellite data and space services, and additional projects aimed at boosting competitiveness and economic growth, including the EU-LAC Supercomputing Network for AI. Global Gateway is the EU's positive offer to reduce the global investment gap and boost smart, clean, and secure connections in digital, energy, and transport sectors, while strengthening health, education, and research systems.