EuroStack is Europe’s bid for digital strategic autonomy
Can Europe really reclaim control over its digital destiny, or dependency on foreign tech giants looms ahead? Global power structures, trade, and value chains are being reshaped – today. And with reliance on foreign digital infrastructure running deep, Europe is at a crossroads.Paul Timmers, outgoing Chairman of e-Governance Academy and Visiting Professor at KU Leuven, joins us in this Podcast episode to discuss why EuroStack might just be the answer Europe needs.At its core, EuroStack stands for a simple but powerful idea: Europe should be able to rely on itself when it matters most. But, as Timmers quickly points out, that doesn't mean shutting others out. “It’s not protectionism. Rather, we need to address the critical dependencies we have, and ensure we keep a say in shaping our digital future.”Tune in!
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Training digital safety through cyber resilience in Montenegro
Montenegro’s digital journey has been one of deliberate reconstruction and collaboration. In 2022, a major cyberattack exposed critical gaps in the country’s digital infrastructure. The experience sent shockwaves through Montenegro’s public administration and made it abundantly clear that preparedness on paper does not equal resilience in reality. Instead of responding with short-term fixes, public institutions focused on long-term change. They initiated a wide-ranging transformation, strengthening cyber capabilities, forming new partnerships, and prioritising resilience not as an end goal, but as an everyday practice. In this podcast episode, we take a privileged look at what that transformation felt like from the inside with Dušan Polović, Director General for Infrastructure, Information Security, Digitalisation and e-Services at the Ministry of Public Administration of Montenegro, and Milan Sekuloski, Senior Cybersecurity Expert at the e-Governance Academy. Tune in!
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Coping with bureaucracy takes continuous practice
Bureaucracy – everybody’s favourite colleague. A structure that ensures governance, compliance, and stability, however, at the cost of efficiency and agility. Is bureaucracy a necessary evil? No need to wonder anymore, in this episode of the Podcast with Margus Sarapuu, Senior Expert at e-Governance Academy.Seasoned in public sector innovation, he comes from the recent experience with Estonia's Zero Bureacracy initiative, within a wider framework of real-time economy plans taking place across the EU. We shed light on how digital transformation can help governments cut red tape, enhance efficiency, and drive economic growth by addressing the details that matter. However, this also highlights the differences across the globe in how this is done. Tune in!
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Digital against the tide. Tech and policy through the climate crisis
When catastrophic floods struck Brazil’s state of Rio Grande do Sul in May 2024, the devastation was swift and far-reaching. Nearly 200 lives were lost, hundreds of thousands were displaced, and critical infrastructure - from roads to water systems - was brought to a standstill. But in the eye of the storm, something else emerged: a remarkable story of how digital governance can respond to climate disaster. In this podcast episode, we feature Gabriel Souza, Vice Governor of Rio Grande do Sul, who recounts how the regional government responded with digital adaptation, coordinated leadership, and institutional learning in the face of unprecedented crisis. “We really innovated a lot,” he notes, reflecting on the urgency and innovation that emerged from the chaos. “We created a myriad of tools that are now part of the legacy of the crisis,” resulting from on-the-ground creativity under pressure. A vivid example of how data, public trust, and agile governance structures can converge in a time of disaster to deliver solutions and reshape the future. Tune in!
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Ukraine’s digital story: Turning challenges into change
Ukraine’s digital transformation is a masterclass in the power of purpose-driven leadership amidst adversity, where resilience and clarity of vision have turned crisis into opportunity. More than simply the evolution of services or infrastructure, the country’s experience is rooted in reimagining how a state serves its citizens under extraordinary circumstances.Facing systemic challenges, a full-scale military invasion by Russia, and economic strain, Ukraine pushed forward, proving that digital governance too can contribute to upholding the core values of protecting sovereignty and democracy.In many ways and for many reasons, this is a special episode. Valeriya Ionan, Advisor to the Vice Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science and Technology Development – Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, and Hannes Astok, Executive Director of e-Governance Academy, dissect the remarkable trajectory that has seen Ukraine move from fragmented governance to championing digital resilience. All the while strengthening Ukraine's European aspirations, amplifying public trust, and much, much more through an era defined by uncertainty and rapid change. Tune in!
Welcome to e-Governance Academy’s podcast to discover the future of governance. e-Governance Academy has assisted digital transformation globally in more than 145 countries. Our experts will share their insights and worldwide examples on how digital technology could benefit every society. Tune in for the digital government podcast every Wednesday!
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