We’re thrilled to share the success of our recent SPIDER Call for Ideas! This initiative represents our commitment to meaningful EU-LAC cooperation and a human-centred digital transformation. Through this programme, we’ve taken concrete steps to bring our regions closer through BELLA.
Bringing Our Continents Together Through Digital Innovation
Our Call for Ideas invited innovators to tackle an important question: “How can we enhance the digital ecosystem and entrepreneurship using BELLA, through solutions in AI, cybersecurity and digital resource sharing across Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe?”
Our Expert Evaluation Committee
A key strength of our selection process was our diverse and expert evaluation committee. We carefully assembled a balanced team of eleven professionals representing both regions, with expertise spanning academia, industry, government and innovation ecosystems.
The committee brought together specialists in:
- Artificial intelligence and data science
- Cybersecurity frameworks
- Digital infrastructure management
- Cross-continental research collaboration
- Innovation and entrepreneurship
This balanced composition ensured that each proposal received a fair assessment from multiple perspectives. The committee worked collaboratively through our structured evaluation platform, accessing concept notes through a secure review area. This approach allowed for consistent application of our evaluation rubric while capturing diverse expert insights.
Our Selection Process
Our diverse evaluation committee used a comprehensive assessment framework that included proposals based on:
- Innovation and creativity
- Alignment with our core question
- Real-world problem-solving capability
- Implementation feasibility
- Technology Readiness Level assessment
- Effective use of specified technologies
- Efficient utilisation of BELLA infrastructure
- Completeness of concept note
Every submission received careful consideration during our evaluation period (10-25 April 2025).
An Enthusiastic Response From Our Community
We were delighted by the strong interest across our regions! We received 28 registrations from ten countries:
- Colombia (7)
- Brazil (4)
- Guatemala (4)
- Chile (3)
- Peru (3)
- Ecuador (3)
- Denmark (1)
- Jamaica (1)
- Mexico (1)
- Spain (1)
Our call attracted 21 concept notes with an impressive distribution:
- Artificial Intelligence: 16 (76%)
- Digital Resource Sharing: 4 (19%)
- Cybersecurity: 1 (5%)
The submissions spanned various technology readiness levels:
- TRL 1: 5 proposals
- TRL 3: 5 proposals
- TRL 6: 3 proposals
- TRL 7: 3 proposals
- TRL 9: 3 proposals
- TRL 2: 1 proposal
- TRL 5: 1 proposal
From the impressive pool of 21 innovative concept notes received, our expert evaluation committee carefully selected the top 10 proposals that demonstrated exceptional potential for impact. These standout ideas scored highest on our comprehensive assessment criteria, showing remarkable innovation, feasibility, and alignment with BELLA’s infrastructure capabilities. The selected proposals will now receive our full support package, helping transform promising concepts into tangible solutions that strengthen EU-LAC digital cooperation.
Building a Digital Bridge Between Continents
As we conclude this Call for Ideas, we’re not just celebrating innovative concepts—we’re witnessing the emergence of a vibrant EU-LAC digital ecosystem. Through BELLA and SPIDER’s collaborative framework, we’re creating tangible pathways for human-centred digital transformation across our regions.
The impressive response and quality of submissions demonstrate that our collective expertise, when properly connected, can address shared challenges and create new opportunities.
We look forward to seeing these ideas develop into impactful solutions that strengthen the bonds between Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, ultimately enhancing competitiveness, fostering innovation, and promoting social inclusion across our interconnected digital landscape.
