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San José, Costa Rica, became the epicenter of advanced computing during the Annual Meeting of the Advanced Computing Network of Latin America and the Caribbean (SCALAC), a member entity of RedCLARA, from August 7–9. This event brought together prominent SCALAC members from various countries to explore advancements, tackle challenges, and plan future collaborations in high-performance computing (HPC).

A key highlight of the meeting was Philippe Navaux's re-election from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) as President of SCALAC for the 2024-2026 term, marking his third term in this role. Additionally, Salma Jalife from México Digital (Mexico) was confirmed as Vice President; Álvaro de la Ossa (Costa Rica) as Secretary; Carla Osthoff from the National Laboratory for Scientific Computing (Brazil) as Treasurer; Harold Castro from the University of the Andes (Colombia) as First Member; Nicolás Wolovick from the University of Córdoba (Argentina) as Second Member; and Luis Eliécer, Executive Director of RedCLARA, as Auditor.

This board renewal emphasizes the importance of regional collaboration to advance high-performance computing and reinforces SCALAC's commitment to technological progress in the region.

The National Center for High Technology (CENAT), which hosted the event, organized the panel "Computing, Data, and Intelligence: The New Golden Braid," where experts from Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, and Mexico shared their perspectives on the impact of computing and artificial intelligence in Latin America. The panel highlighted how regional collaboration drives technological innovation and underscored the crucial role of computing and artificial intelligence (AI) in the scientific and economic development of Latin American countries.

SCALAC, in close collaboration with RedCLARA, has become an essential pillar in the technological infrastructure of Latin America and the Caribbean. RedCLARA, the regional academic and research network, has been instrumental in SCALAC's expansion and development, providing the high-speed connectivity needed to access supercomputer resources and enabling complex scientific projects.

During the event, some SCALAC members visited Intel's facilities in Costa Rica, where they learned about chip assembly and testing processes, as well as key components for data processing. This visit strengthened ties between the HPC community in the region and the technology industry, establishing a critical collaboration for the development and innovation of high-performance computing in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Since its inception, SCALAC has played a fundamental role in promoting cooperation among countries in supercomputing and advanced technology. The meeting in San José marked an important step in strengthening this collaborative network, continually supported by RedCLARA to drive scientific and technological development in the region.