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A historic milestone for the Arab region was announced this week with the official launch of Tibr, the Arab Regional Open Access Harvester, an open-access platform that unifies, connects, and enhances the scientific output of the Arab States through a single access point.

(Photo: LinkedIn ASREN)
Developed by ASREN (Arab States Research and Education Network), the regional research and education network for the Arab States, in collaboration with LA Referencia and RedCLARA, Tibr represents a decisive step toward consolidating a stronger, interoperable, and globally connected Arab Open Science Ecosystem.

The platform uses the open-source LA Referencia software, widely adopted in Latin America, which enables the harvesting, validation, enrichment, and publication of scientific metadata in accordance with international standards.

The launch took place during the 15th ASREN International Conference, E-AGE25, held in Jordan on December 1–2. With this milestone, ASREN advances its vision of strengthening research, innovation, and regional collaboration through open infrastructures that connect institutions, researchers, and repositories across the Arab region.

The collaboration between ASREN and RedCLARA dates back more than two decades. Both networks maintain strategic agreements, supported by the European Union, and have cooperated in areas such as interoperability, open science, metadata practices, and the joint development of regional platforms.

In 2022, ASREN, RedCLARA, and GÉANT signed the Katowice Declaration, a trilateral commitment to enhance the exchange of critical scientific data—especially in areas such as Earth observation, climate change, and sustainability—strengthening the digital infrastructure required for the use of large scientific datasets and evidence-based decision-making.

That same year, ASREN and RedCLARA signed an agreement within the framework of COAR and the LIBER SENSE initiative, through which ASREN would adopt the LA Referencia software to build its own regional scientific metadata platform. Tibr is the concrete result of that technical and strategic cooperation.

“Tibr is not just a platform; it is the demonstration of the impact we achieve when we share capabilities, vision, and technology across regions. ASREN and RedCLARA have built this pathway step by step, and today we celebrate a digital bridge that strengthens Open Science in the Arab States,” said Luis Eliécer Cárdenas, representing RedCLARA and the BELLA II project.

BELLA II and RedCLARA stand out at e-AGE25!

During the opening session of the conference, RedCLARA and the BELLA II project, co-funded by the European Union, played a prominent role through a presentation delivered by Luis Eliécer Cárdenas, Executive Director of the Latin American Network.

Cárdenas emphasized that BELLA II strengthens the digital ecosystem of Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as its interconnection and collaboration with Europe and other regions, fostering a more robust, secure, and globally integrated digital infrastructure for scientific cooperation.

“The collaboration between ASREN and RedCLARA is not new; they have spent many years building trust, coordination, and shared infrastructure. This relationship continues to expand, and opens new possibilities for our scientific communities to work better together,” Cárdenas added.

The conference, organized by ASREN and the Jordanian Universities Network with the support of the European Union, brought together experts in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, communications, energy, data, sustainability, and open science. The 2025 edition, held under the theme “Uniting Minds”, highlighted the importance of joint capabilities and shared knowledge to address global challenges through a collaborative and sustainable approach.

The program included participation from the German Jordanian University, ASREN, EU delegations, science and technology centers from the Arab region, and international experts. It also highlighted initiatives such as the Women in STEM track and the Next Generation of Innovators platform, which showcases the work of young scientists across the Arab world.

The joint presence of RedCLARA, ASREN, and BELLA II at this event reaffirms their interregional commitment to building an open, inclusive, and globally connected digital ecosystem. Partnerships between Latin America, the Caribbean, the Arab States, and Europe help accelerate scientific innovation, expand opportunities for academic exchange, and strengthen collective capacity to address challenges such as climate change, data management, and digital transformation.