Costa Rica has one Minister for four domains – science, innovation, technology, and telecommunications. It is Paula Bogantes Zamora, who joined us on stage at the latest e-Governance Conference 2024 for a panel on leadership in driving digital transformation. Very fittingly so, as Costa Rica keeps advancing on its path towards effective and all-encompassing digital transformation. From healthcare to education, through digital identity and interoperability, a lot has been done already in ...

Digital governance, done right, calls for leaders and changemakers to be versed in a variety of spheres and domains. Cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, diplomacy, relations with societal stakeholders. In a way, that was to be expected – digital development and technological advancements accelerated global and international integration, of both markets and general trends, in the past thirty years.All themes Paul Timmers, Research Fellow at Oxford University and Chairman of the Board at e-...

Putting digital transformation to work for the benefit of society means taking an extra step, to Lacina Koné. The CEO of Smart Africa supports the idea that on the way from digital buzz to business success, efficient digital government can be key in attracting and retaining top talent and investments. On the path towards a digital Africa, though, a mix of deep-rooted challenges and bold steps to take awaits. Dive in this briefing on the state of digital transformation for business and society...

Since years already, the Republic of Moldova has had to take measures to safeguard the integrity of its national cyberspace in the face of russian interference and aggression. In doing so, it has been supported by international partners and the European Union. But little would have been possible, without the effort and dedication of its civil servants.It was our pleasure, then, to award the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalisation of Moldova as Partner of the Year 2024, at the late...

Digital frontiers are constantly reshaping the world, making digital diplomacy and public digital infrastructure critical areas of innovation and policy. Naturally, as governments navigate the complexities of fast-paced technological advancements that actively impact society, the need for a robust digital public infrastructure (DPI) and the effective use of digital public goods (DPG) becomes crucial.In this last instalment of our Podcast before the upcoming e-Governance Conference 2024, we sp...

Digital landscapes, by default, evolve and expand beyond the borders of national cyberspaces. So it is natural that the paths of cybersecurity and geopolitics become increasingly intertwined. What countries cannot afford in this context, though, is to overlook roles and modes of countering effectively cyber threats.On cybersecurity, the e-Governance Conference 2024 features a fireside chat between Andrew Grotto, seasoned expert and professor from Stanford University, and former White House ad...

Some terms in the public discourse, despite filled with meaning and relevant concepts, somehow happen to not really take hold. The green transition, a necessity of our times to address, still it’s something that – here and there – could truly benefit from more support. That support can come from citizens, enabled to participate in more democratic decision-making processes, and from digital tools too, that favour and streamline such participation.All in all, the end is still to achieve more in...

Service design remains in focus at the e-Governance Conference – this year hosting a keynote by the former Director of Design for the UK Government, Lou Downe. The founder also of the School of Good Services, a design and consulting practice that resulted from the wide reach of their design principles, and the book ‘Good Services: How to Design Services that Work’.A start in the arts, the switch to service design. To then set such standards and practices to create a community of designers com...

The European Union's AI Act is an initiative aimed at regulating the field of artificial intelligence. On Wednesday, March 13, the Parliament approved the regulation. It seeks to establish a legal framework for the use of AI, but also to position the EU at the forefront of global digital governance – at least on this aspect, and in this regard. The approach is comprehensive, touching on a wide spectrum of applications, from low-risk to high-risk categories, tailoring regulatory requireme...

Ukraine's journey towards digital transformation has been marked by significant achievements, notably through the development and implementation of Trembita, the nation’s data exchange layer, and the Diia app. These tools have revolutionised the way citizens interact with government services, making them more efficient, transparent, and accessible.Zooming out, though, the context and circumstances within which this rapid development took place would make most of us go red. If there’s one – ne...