From the Amazon to the World: How Connectivity Empowers Local Knowledge and Economies

The Amazon On panel explored how digital infrastructure, traditional knowledge and innovation can work together to generate income, expand access to rights and develop solutions rooted in the realities of the Amazon region.

Connectivity takes on a different meaning when it moves beyond infrastructure deployment to support the people who live and work in the Amazon. At the panel “From the Amazon to the World,” moderated by Marcio Lino, CEO of COLIN Consultoria and Senior Advisor at EllaLink Subsea Cables, representatives from academia, entrepreneurship, logistics and civil society presented initiatives that bring technology, local knowledge and territorial development closer together.

One example came from Prates Navegação e Logística. The company’s Executive Director, Jussara Prates, shared its experience deploying fiber-optic cables along riverbeds, adapting technology to the specific conditions of navigation in the Amazon. Over approximately a decade, the operation has deployed more than 7,000 kilometers of cable and conducted nearly 40,000 kilometers of hydrographic surveys, according to figures presented during the panel. The work is part of the Norte Conectado program, which, according to the presentation, benefits more than 7.5 million people across over 70 municipalities.

This experience also demonstrates the importance of regional expertise in delivering large-scale infrastructure projects. “Those who live here know that having the best technology is not enough. You need to understand the rivers, know their cycles and respect the lived experience of local communities,” Jussara said.

But what happens once the infrastructure is in place? Professor Maria Angélica de Almeida Correa, PhD, from the Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM), brought this question to the center of the discussion. A researcher who works closely with fishing communities, she noted that fishing accounts for approximately 60% to 70% of riverside communities’ income, according to her remarks, and that climate change and seasonal flood and drought cycles directly affect production and food security. Developing effective solutions therefore requires understanding community dynamics and working alongside local populations to shape responses.

The connection between technology and economic development is also evident in the work of the Sustainable Amazon Foundation (FAS). Will Mourão, Entrepreneurship Manager, presented an initiative to trace sustainably managed pirarucu, a large Amazonian fish. Through QR codes, consumers can access information about the fish’s origin, management practices and the families involved in its production. The project connects traditional practices with digital tools and creates opportunities to increase the market value of local products.

For Jader Gama, a specialist in territorial development enabled by digital infrastructure, the challenge is to ensure that technology recognizes and builds on the knowledge already present in local communities, rather than simply importing external models.

“When digital technologies and artificial intelligence reach a territory, they need to be adapted and managed according to the realities of that specific territory,” said Jader Gama.

Professor Alyson de Jesus dos Santos, PhD, Director-General of the Innovation Hub at the Federal Institute of Amazonas (IFAM), presented applied research initiatives in communications, the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, developed in response to local needs. He concluded by emphasizing a critical next step: “We have the infrastructure. Now we need to focus on applications and generate value.”

The experiences discussed during the panel point in the same direction: connectivity becomes a driver of transformation when it strengthens local capabilities, recognizes the value of Amazonian knowledge and enables communities themselves to help shape their future.