Rubén Carrandi, representing the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator and the European Business and Innovation Centre Network (EBN), emphasised the crucial role that structured, innovation-driven collaboration can play in strengthening digital cooperation between Europe and Latin America.
Carrandi highlighted that although the SPIDER mapping identified over 90 digital dialogues and more than 50 bi-regional agreements, most lack clear implementation tracking, which limits their impact. He stressed the need for mechanisms to translate political commitments into measurable, actionable outcomes.
In this context, he pointed to the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator as a strategic opportunity to close this gap. The Accelerator offers practical tools to foster innovation partnerships, support technology transfer, and facilitate collaboration between startups, corporates, research institutions, and public entities across both regions. According to Carrandi, initiatives like the Accelerator can serve as catalysts for a more effective and sustainable digital ecosystem by enabling matchmaking, supporting pilot projects, and linking technological solutions with real market and societal needs.
He also underscored that any future EU–LAC digital cooperation roadmap should incorporate essential elements, including clear thematic priorities, governance mechanisms, measurable indicators, and accessible funding instruments. These components, he argued, are key to ensuring that cooperation becomes realistic, inclusive, and implementable, and are included in the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator.
