ASREN (Arab States Research and Education Network) and partners have introduced a platform offering open access to the scientific output of the Arab States through a single access point. The platform enhances the exchange of critical scientific data, for example in areas such as Earth observation, climate change, and sustainability.
Besides bridging the Arab region, the platform – named Tibr – marks an intercontinental collaboration, since RedCLARA (the regional research and education network for Latin America) and another Latin American organization, LA Referencia, were involved in creating the platform. The European regional organization, GÉANT, also contributed within the framework of the EUMEDplus project, reinforcing cooperation between research and education networks across regions.
“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,” says Luis Eliécer Cárdenas, Executive Director, RedCLARA.
Builds on Latin American software
Tibr is being advanced within the framework of the EUMEDplus project, which supports the establishment of a regional open science cloud and services by enabling the adoption of LA Referencia technology, strengthening repository interoperability, and fostering regional capacity building. It represents a key step toward achieving the Action’s objective of creating an integrated standards-based regional discovery platform for open access scientific content.
LA Referencia software is widely adopted in Latin America, which enables the harvesting, validation, enrichment, and publication of scientific metadata in accordance with international standards.
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. Since, the collaboration has worked to strengthen the digital infrastructure required for the use of large scientific datasets and evidence-based decision-making.
Also in 2022, ASREN and RedCLARA signed an agreement within the framework of the Confederation of Open Access Repositories and LIBSENSE, which is a pan-African open science initiative. This laid the ground for ASREN adopting LA Referencia software to build its own regional scientific metadata platform. Tibr results from that cooperation.
A globally connected ecosystem
The launch of Tibr took place in December 2025 at ASREN International Conference, e-AGE25, held in Jordan.
The conference, organized by ASREN and the Jordanian Universities Network with support of the European Union, brought together experts in digital transformation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), communications, energy, data, sustainability, and open science.
“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,” according to the RedCLARA website.
“Partnerships between Latin America, the Caribbean, the Arab States, and Europe help accelerate scientific innovation, expand communities for academic exchange, and strengthen collective capacity to address challenges such as climate change, data management, and digital transformation.”
The text is inspired by the article “ASREN launches Tibr at e-AGE25: the new open access platform developed in collaboration with LA Referencia and RedCLARA” at the RedCLARA website.
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