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The Latin American and Caribbean University Telemedicine Network (RUTE-ALC) launched its 2026 session cycle with a meeting focused on reflecting on the role of National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), members of RedCLARA, in advancing digital health.

RUTE-ALC is a regional initiative led by RedCLARA that promotes collaboration among academic networks, universities, hospitals, and research centers, with the aim of strengthening telehealth, specialized training, and innovation in digital health across Latin America and the Caribbean. Inspired by the experience of Brazil’s RUTE network, the initiative has evolved into a regional articulation space that now connects multiple countries and communities of practice.

The session was opened by Tania Altamirano, Academic Relations Manager at RedCLARA, who highlighted the sustained growth of the initiative and its consolidation as a regional exchange platform. Over the past two years, the RUTE-ALC webinar series has brought together more than 100 specialists across 28 sessions, generating knowledge and strengthening an active community around digital health. This represents more than 2,500 hours of high-value content available on RedCLARA’s YouTube channel.

The meeting was moderated by Dr. Paulo Lopes, from Brazil’s National Research and Education Network (RNP), and featured the participation of Lisandro Granville (RNP, Brazil), Paola Arellano (REUNA, Chile), Gabriela Astudillo (CEDIA, Ecuador), Carlos Gamboa (RedCONARE, Costa Rica), Moisés Torres (CUDI, Mexico), and Jimena Mejía (RENATA, Colombia), who shared perspectives and experiences on the role of academic networks in the digital transformation of health.

From infrastructure to collaborative ecosystems

One of the main points of consensus was that academic networks have moved beyond their traditional role as connectivity providers to become strategic actors in the digital transformation of health. In this regard, Lisandro Granville, Director of RNP, noted that academic networks have the capacity to contribute across the entire digital health value chain, from infrastructure and data management to the development of applications and services, particularly through their articulation with the academic and scientific sectors.

Paola Arellano, Executive Director of REUNA, emphasized that the scope of these networks should be understood beyond the technological dimension: “More than infrastructure, we are a community that seeks to foster collaboration in high-impact areas such as health, and to generate knowledge that goes beyond institutions and reaches society.” She also pointed out the importance of strengthening connections with other actors: “Networks should not be limited to the university environment, but should build links with governments, industry, and other stakeholders so that digital health can truly consolidate.”

Gabriela Astudillo, Head of Sustainability and Social Responsibility at Ecuador’s CEDIA network, introduced a systemic perspective, stressing that digital transformation in health cannot be approached as a set of isolated technological solutions, but rather as an ecosystem where capabilities must be aligned with concrete needs. “Technology is not enough. Transformation happens when we are able to articulate capabilities, actors, and needs within the same ecosystem,” she stated. In this regard, she highlighted the importance of identifying gaps and coordinating responses.

Jimena Mejía, Membership Engagement Coordinator at RENATA, complemented this view by noting that “the future of health does not depend solely on technology, but on how well we are able to connect.” She added that “it is not only about connecting institutions, but about connecting knowledge, capabilities, and talent,” emphasizing the direct impact this can have on research, training, and healthcare delivery.

Challenges and gaps

In this context, the discussion also addressed more operational challenges. Carlos Gamboa, coordinator at RedCONARE, highlighted a key gap for the region: the distance between coordination and implementation. While spaces for institutional articulation exist, the challenge remains to translate these agreements into concrete actions, particularly in areas such as health data management and interoperability, the adoption of standards, and effective collaboration with national health systems.

Building on this, the experience from Mexico brought attention to another critical dimension: scaling effective digital health solutions. Moisés Torres, from CUDI, emphasized that advances in hospital connectivity are not only about improving access to digital services, but also about enabling structural conditions for research and innovation. Integrating hospitals and research centers into advanced academic networks makes it possible to share clinical data, develop telemedicine applications, and strengthen scientific collaboration at both national and international levels.

The experiences shared demonstrate that these approaches—effective articulation and scalable capacities—are already yielding results in the region. In Ecuador, the ECHO program has expanded access to specialized knowledge through collaborative network-based learning models, connecting experts with healthcare professionals across different territories and levels of the system. In Costa Rica, progress is being made in data integration and the use of digital technologies through partnerships between academia, the health system, and innovation centers. In Mexico, large-scale hospital connectivity projects are expanding capacities for biomedical data analysis, distributed research, and international cooperation.

Overall, these developments reflect a gradual shift in how the region approaches digital health: not as a set of isolated solutions, but as a process that requires infrastructure, governance, and sustained collaboration. NRENs act as enablers of these ecosystems, connecting universities, hospitals, research centers, governments, and international cooperation, and facilitating the development of scalable and sustainable digital health solutions.

The launch of the 2026 RUTE-ALC session cycle marks a new phase of joint work, with an agenda that will include topics such as bioinformatics, public policy, digital governance, and international cooperation. The next session will take place on April 8, focusing on Bioinformatics and Health Informatics in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Listen to the full session: RUTE-ALC | NRENs as key actors in the field of Digital Health