From Latin America to the ORFEO Data Center as part of the EU-CELAC Initiative
From 15 to 19 June 2026, Area Science Park welcomed five representatives from universities and research centres across Latin America for a study visit to the ORFEO Data Center, one of five European research infrastructures selected as a “Reference Research Infrastructure” within the framework of the European EU-CELAC initiative.
The study visit provided participants with an opportunity to explore the capabilities of a high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence infrastructure embedded within a research and innovation ecosystem serving both industry and research organisations, further strengthening Area Science Park’s role as a European hub for international cooperation in data-driven research and innovation.
The visit took place within the framework of the scientific cooperation initiative between the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), launched in 2016 with the aim of establishing research infrastructures as one of the pillars of the Common Research Area between the two regions. In particular, the EU-CELAC Working Group on Research Infrastructures (EU-CELAC WG RI) promotes the visibility and sharing of FAIR research infrastructures — Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable — while fostering the exchange of best practices and networking activities between the two continents. The selection of ORFEO highlights the data centre’s international relevance and potential.
The delegation — comprising professors, research group leaders and scientific coordinators from Argentina, Ecuador and Costa Rica — had the opportunity to learn about Area Science Park’s other major research infrastructures– PRP@CERIC and NFFA-DI, together with their associated services, while also gaining insight into European priorities for digital research infrastructures. Dedicated sessions focused on the digital tools developed within PRP@CERIC and NFFA-DI and their integration with experimental facilities, as well as on large-scale data management practices enabled by artificial intelligence, with particular emphasis on interoperability and FAIR principles.
On the final day of the visit, a session was held to discuss concrete opportunities for scientific cooperation. Representatives from other Trieste-based research institutions also took part, including : OGS – Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale, SISSA – Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, ICTP – Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics e INAF – Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica.
The study visit provided a valuable opportunity for exchange and mutual learning between two research ecosystems located in different parts of the world, yet united by the common goal of making HPC research infrastructures more accessible and interoperable.