Cuba and Venezuela are developing open source software to control industrial processes, as the two political allies seek ways to increase "sovereignty" on Information Technology.

The software called Scada Nacional -produced under the aegis of the Venezuelan state oil giant Pdvsa's technological arm- allows for computerization of industrial production systems.

"We intend to minimize technological dependence and expand national sovereignty regarding the area of Information Technology," said José Fernández, a Pdvsa expert leading the project.

Pdvsa's Cuban counterpart in this project is the Cuban University of Information Technology Sciences, news agencies said.

According to Fernández, Scada Nacional is open source software.