The Chilean research and education network REUNA joins a global community of more than 170 organizations working to advance the networks of the future through innovation in optical, wireless, and distributed processing technologies.
IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Network) is a technology initiative led by NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation), in collaboration with companies and research centers worldwide. Its goal is to redefine the communications infrastructure of the future by integrating advanced optical networks, next-generation wireless technologies, and intelligent distributed processing systems, with the aim of moving toward a more sustainable and environmentally friendly society.
To advance this vision, the IOWN Global Forum was created — a community that brings together more than 170 leading organizations from the global technology ecosystem and works to accelerate innovation and the adoption of photonics-based technologies. REUNA has recently joined this international collaborative space, becoming the first research and education network to be part of this initiative.
As Paola Arellano, Executive Director of REUNA, explained: “Chile’s incorporation, through REUNA, into this initiative will allow us to be part of the global discussion on the challenges ahead in digital infrastructure, such as the adoption of technologies that improve energy efficiency and network performance. It will also allow us to participate in large-scale international experiments to test these technologies and promote their implementation,” she noted.
Arellano added that moving toward more sustainable and high-performance digital infrastructure will require a joint effort from the entire technology ecosystem. “We hope that, through this incorporation, we can bring together the national research community to join and work collaboratively on the development of new solutions.”
Katsuhiko Kawazoe, President of the IOWN Global Forum and Chief Executive Fellow of NTT, affirmed that this alliance strengthens the international cooperation that has historically existed between scientific and academic institutions on both sides of the Pacific. “Chile and Japan share a long history of research and development. With REUNA’s participation in the IOWN Global Forum, we can elevate this collaboration to a new level,” he said.
The forum president also highlighted the key role of academic networks in bringing innovation closer to society and democratizing access to cutting-edge solutions. “Innovation does not always reach society quickly. In that sense, networks like REUNA are very important, because their participation in initiatives such as the IOWN Global Forum allows academic and research institutions to make use of these networks and technologies.”
Photo: participants of the IOWN Global Forum. Credit: REUNA.
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