Governments worldwide are eager to harness AI — yet many remain stronger on ambition than readiness. 

In this episode, “The Learning Curve for Effective AI in Government,” we talk with Piret Hirv, Head of the Data Management Competence Centre at the e-Governance Academy, about what it takes to turn AI pilots into lasting impact in public services.

We also speak with Oscar Del Campo Barxias, Deputy Director General for Entrepreneurship of the Community of Madrid, who shares the lessons learned for implementing AI in public services in the Madrid region. 

Tune in! 

In this podcast episode with Dr. Lili Milani, Head of the Estonian Biobank and Professor of Pharmacogenomics at the University of Tartu, we discuss how Estonia’s national biobank has become a trusted platform where science, ethics, and personal agency meet. 

The Estonian Biobank began as a research initiative focused on the genetics of disease, but over time, its purpose has deepened and broadened. 

“The original goal was to understand how genes relate to diseases so we could improve care,” Milani explains. As more participants joined and the scope of available data expanded, the Biobank grew into a national tool for real, tangible benefits to people’s personal lives. 

Tune in! 

In cyberspace, borders are invisible, but the consequences are very real. As states continue integrating digital tools into national defence, diplomacy, and daily governance, the question of how international law applies to this domain has become increasingly urgent.

The Tallinn Cyber Diplomacy Summer School sharpens this conversation with sessions that this year include speakers Liis Vihul, CEO of Cyber Law International, and Agnes Kasper, Head of the Law Branch at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE).

So, we brought them together. In this second instalment of our dedicated podcast mini-series to the Cyber Diplomacy fest taking place in Tallinn, we dug deep into what makes momentum grow among countries to shape and publish national positions on international law in cyberspace, with all the complexity, ambiguity, and realpolitik that surround this effort laid bare too.

In today's podcast, Hannes Astok, a member of the e-Governance Academy Board, sheds light on the two main keywords that should describe the future goals of digital transformation for every government organisation - resilience and seamlessness.  Tune in to the episode to find out why these features are critical for any digital government!

Interested in more? Join the e-Governance Conference on 10 - 12 May to get the best insights into and lessons learnt about the digital ecosystems that cope with crises and create seamless digital services to help citizens cope with them.

Yurii Kopytin, Cybersecurity Component Leader of EU4DigitalUA project and general architect of Ukrainian data exchange platform the Trembita system, works now 18 hours per day by safeguarding the Ukrainian digital government, keeping the Trembita system functional and fighting with cyber attacks and fake news together with the government authorities of Ukraine. 

Even the workload and conditions are very hard the digital transformation in Ukraine is not stopped during the war. Slowly but still some developments take place according to the project plan. Listen to the episode with him to find out how is the situation there and what developments are still ongoing despite the war!

Slava Ukraini!

Something might have caught many observers by surprise in Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. After a solid history of cyber threats that could be linked back to the Federation’s territory, cyber warfare seems to not be playing a major role in the attackers’ plans this time.  It hasn’t been the same in the past, and no one guarantees the current situation can’t change in a matter of weeks, or even days. Perhaps particularly when, on the ground, the Russian army appears to not proceed at the pace initially envisioned by the architects of the invasion.

Does that mean we can overlook the cyber side of the conflict? Absolutely not, Merle Maigre, Senior Cybersecurity Expert at e-Governance Academy and former top NATO diplomat in this field, warns in our conversation. 

Let’s look at what is happening in Ukraine now and how to be better prepared at all levels – personal, organizational, national – to protect our systems and data in the face of a cyberattack.  

The episode is hosted by Federico Plantera.

Tune in!

This week, the world looks quite different from what it used to. We’re here to talk about a tragedy taking shape just before our eyes – the war in Ukraine. Oleh Burba is not a war correspondent, but a Component Leader in our EU4DigitalUA team in Kyiv, Ukraine.
With him, we look at how safety suddenly had to become the priority, and how the e-Governance Academy team there is dealing with the quickly escalating conflict.
The episode is hosted by Kristina Mänd.

Contribute to support Ukrainians in the fight for democracy in Europe and the freedom of Ukraine!

International Red Cross, https://www.icrc.org/en 

Doctors Without Borders, http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

United help to Ukraine, http://www.unitedhelpukraine.org/

Ukraina heaks, https://www.ukrainaheaks.ee/ (in Estonia)

Can a digital society exist sustainably without e-citizens? Who are the e-citizens - the user the e-services or something more? This is a topic we will discuss today with e-democracy expert Kristina Reinsalu. 

In this episode, she introduces us to the e-citizen concept and to the digital nudging in society that supports the citizens' use of digital tools and better engagement in decision-making processes. You can explore examples from Island and Estonia with us. 

Moreover, you will get more insights into the digital divide that digitalization can create, and how Estonia has decreased it. And finally, we address the governments and civil society organizations, while asking where to begin to have active e-citizens in a society. The podcast is hosted by Federico Plantera.

Tune in!

In today's episode, IT-visionary Linnar Viik talks about the post-pandemic trends of teaching and learning at schools, and shares with us the findings from the survey he conducted among teachers and parents in Estonia. Listen to the discussion and find out how did the schools in various countries react to the lockdowns and how did the experiences that we gained from lockdowns change the expectations towards teaching and learning at schools. 

Is there something useful that could be implemented in schools in the future or even right away? Tune in!

Every digital transformation journey needs a good place to start from. What’s the first step? Understanding where you stand, what are your valuable assets, how to move forward from there, and what to focus on first.

The Digital Readiness Review does just that. For a long, e-Governance Academy has been offering this analysis to both governments and businesses – to pinpoint strengths, and weaker spots to work on.

With Marit Lani, Programme Director of Smart Governance, we take a look at how both public and private sector organizations can benefit from it and become more digital. Tune in!

Behind a successful cyber attack, it is very often the poor cyber hygiene of internet users or employees of an organisation, as revealed by the analysis of cyber incidents. Thus, the demand of being cyber-wise concerns every citizen, and the government as well. 

In this episode, Lauri Tankler, lead analyst of the Estonian Information System Authority, and Merle Maigre, senior expert on cybersecurity and former director of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, shed light on what mistakes people make the most in cyberspace, what is the government’s responsibility in raising peoples' awareness of cybersecurity, and what could be done better based on the experience of the EU Member States.

Moreover, Lauri Tankler tells us in more detail how Estonia is raising cyber-wise people and what are the challenges they face.  Tune in!

The discussion is based on the report 'Raising awareness of cybersecurity' that presents case studies of the EU Member States and provides recommendations for the experts of the National Authorities responsible for the design and the implementation of cybersecurity awareness-raising campaigns, in the following four areas: building capacities for cybersecurity awareness, regular assessments of trends and challenges, measuring cybersecurity behaviour and planning cybersecurity awareness campaigns.

Explore more of the report compiled by eGA experts within the project ‘ENISA: Research of Awareness Raising Activities‘!

AI is one of the technologies that influences the public sector service provision and also our expectations towards it. In today's episode, we invite you to explore how are governments approaching the use of artificial intelligence in public service provision. Consider Estonia, as a case study – and let Ott Velsberg, Chief Data Officer of the Estonian Government, be our guide. 

 The country’s AI plans are rooted in words and deeds that started already in 2019. The AI strategy aims to make the government more proactive, seamless, automated. The end goal is zero bureaucracy, and AI plays a key part in moving meaningfully in that direction. So far, 80 case studies have been completed, with an additional 30 ongoing, and will soon be channelled through Bürokratt. 

 What tasks has the Estonian public sector entrusted to AI already? And what is the Bürokratt - the new tool of making bureaucracy more efficient and citizen-friendly? 

Interested in exploring the topic more closely? Tune in!

Today we invite you to follow the government CIO’s special edition! Two former leaders of digital transformation, Siim Sikkut from Estonia and Randall Brugeaud from Australia, cast light on the trends that governments should follow in their digital transformation activities to benefit from pandemic lessons learned. 

In the episode, our guests share their views on how to keep an innovation-driven mindset inside of the government, how to engage society and keep citizen-centricity in mind while developing new services. 

'COVID proved things can be done very quickly, Estonia also had overnight solutions developed to react to the pandemic. But fatigue is now kicking in a bit, so it is on us as gov CIOs & digital transformation authorities to make sure that new normality will stick, ' said Siim Sikkut.

Tune in and get some inspiration to continue the digital transformation in your country or organisation! The discussion was moderated by Linnar Viik and live at the e-Governance Conference 2021.

AI governance is under pressure to match the speed and reach of artificial intelligence as it reshapes economies, political systems, and cultural norms. No longer a future concern, AI is a present force demanding immediate and coordinated responses. In this introductory episode to this year's Tallinn Cyber Diplomacy Summer School, we do just that with Lucia Velasco, AI Policy Lead at the UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies. 

Velasco says navigating geopolitical tensions and aligning regulatory practices requires a distinctive and urgent approach. And AI governance is about far more than legal frameworks. "Governance is not just regulation," she points out. "It's the framework that helps ensure AI is developed and used in fair, safe, and ultimately beneficial ways."  

The call is for an anticipatory governance model that is not responsive. It should be capable of shaping AI's trajectory before its effects become unmanageable. 

The podcast is hosted by Federico Plantera.

Tune in to find out more!

With the year-end approaching, we could not let this opportunity slip for a proper wrap up of 2021. Hannes Astok, Executive Director at e-Governance Academy, gladly bears the weight of this responsibility in the latest episode of the Digital Government Podcast.

Remote work and cybersecurity are the topics that dominated the digital transformation landscape this past year. While flexibility is the keyword for the former, enhancing the safety of operations on the internet is the command for the latter. This pertained not only to the work of the e-Governance Academy but also that of the government organisations and partners – who have been facing similar and further challenges.

Achievements, announcements, pre-holiday wishes. In this lightweight episode, we salute the year that has gone by and give you all a recommendation: mark May 10-12, 2022, on your calendar, as the e-Governance Conference makes its return both offline and online!

The episode is hosted by Federico Plantera.

The number of mobile users is already exceeding 7 billion worldwide, and 3 billion of them are using smartphones. The rising mobile penetration has pushed governments to develop services that could be used via mobile phone. On the other hand, more and more governments are exploring how to benefit from AI by providing public services. In this episode, we will explore with Margus Simson, the Chief Digital Officer (CDO) at Komerční Banka, how these two developments change online service provision and should they be reflected in government digital strategies. 

According to Margus, from 2025 and beyond, the new standard in digital service should be the significant inclusion of AI/ML. "It will beef up the intelligence efforts, and take companies and customers to personalization levels and business opportunities that have never been seen before. Mobiles are definitely crucial for customer service and digitalization, but honestly, it is already 10 years too late. Instead of mobile, simplicity should be the core strategic direction of transformation stories."

In the discussion, he reflects on developments that are taking place already in the private sector, and based on that, he predicts the future of developments for the public sector. 

More precisely, Margus will cast light on 

>what horizons in service provision have AI and ML opened? 

>what could we expect as customers?

>what changes should governments make in their digital transformation strategies to keep up with the technological developments? 

Tune in!

The problem with fake news is becoming more and more topical for every public organisation. Due to that, we invited Dr Katrin Nyman-Metcalf, the Senior Expert on Legal Framework to the Digital Government Podcast to cast light on the freedom of expression in the digital age and the problem of fake news from a legal perspective. 

In this episode,  we walk through the following questions: 

Can we "regulate away" misinformation? 

What are the lessons learnt from the countries that have such legislation? 

What would be the key points to keep in mind if and when regulating this issue? 

Should not the big platforms like Facebook take responsibility primarily - as it is largely via them that misinformation is spread?

Turn in to find out whether there is still hope or if the battle is indeed lost!

The podcast is hosted by Federico Plantera.

Based on what trends we have witnessed in advanced digital societies -  the next level of public services will be fully automated services that are based on AI and Machine Learning. In this episode, a distinguished legal expert on digital governance topics Katrin Nyman-Metcalf covers another side of the coin - essential and ethical dilemmas behind that process/development. She says that the key decisions on how, when and whether to automate are not technical, legal, nor practical - they are essentially strategic, political decisions about what kind of society we want.

But what kind of society do we want? That raises a lot of questions. For example, what is the role of public officials while machines are putting together facts and providing public services? What is the role of the state and the state administration? And how will society and citizens react? Will the norms change in society? Are we obliged to love robots? Is the challenge of transforming into a fully automated society a generational issue? 

 Listen to this episode to find out!

Despite a continued global vaccine rollout, COVID19's shadow remains large and limiting for all government bodies around the world. The need to cut through COVID fatigue with strong leadership has never been more urgent. Now the government leaders themselves play a crucial online role in shielding teams and policies from criticism and misinformation.

In today's episode, we explore with Roger Christie, a digital brand advisor from the Australian consultancy Propel Group, how to increase government leadership with the help of social media, to engage and influence key audiences, and to take action at a time when we all need our leaders to stand up and be heard.

The episode is based on the Digital Government Leadership Report conducted by Propel and Brandwatch and published this autumn. In the survey, they analysed the social media activity of the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and revealed how Premier Andrews successfully used Twitter to increase positive community sentiment during his state’s darkest period during the 2020 lockdowns. The data behind the Premier’s digital leadership reveals an important truth for all – government leaders need to stand up online.

The podcast is hosted by Federico Plantera.

The pandemic caused countries around the world to employ digital solutions, which they had been ignoring or postponing, almost overnight. Such rapid development also raises several questions related to digital responsibility and accountability.

Digital responsibility has mainly been addressed by the business sector. However, the expectations to the governments to set the agenda for digital responsibility are becoming increasingly clear, as is the potential role of civil society organisations in challenging the governments in the process.

In this episode, Kristina Mänd (eGA), Aldo Merkoci (MJAFY!, Albania) and Robert Bjarnason (Citizen Foundation, Iceland) will address the expectations on governments, in addition to the role of civil society organisations in supporting governments in digital responsibility.  Tune in to explore the practices used in Albania, Iceland and Estonia!

The discussion was live at the e-Governance Conference 2021.

The rapid digitalisation of societies introduces new expectations towards tech companies. People expect companies to take care of their ecological footprint, support free expression, respect privacy and develop a more secure cyberspace.
 
Explore how enterprises and governments can address these demands for digital responsibility with tech innovator Üllar Jaaksoo, from Greenergy, technology and public policy leader Eli Sugarman, from the Oversight Board, and senior expert of cybersecurity Merle Maigre, from e-Governance Academy.

Moreover, they talk about how the government could be a better partner for the private sector in this journey, and share examples from the UK, European Union and Estonia. Tune in!

The discussion was live at the e-Governance Conference. 

Estonia conducted i-voting for the 12th time, in the recent local elections on 11 – 17 October 2021. In this episode, we cast light on these election results and explore with Priit Vinkel, the former Head of the Estonian Electoral Office and one of the implementers of the internet voting system in Estonia, what are the lessons learned from i-voting, both for Estonia and as well as for other governments who want to implement i-voting. 

We will talk about building trust and voter and politician behaviour during the past 16 years (the first i-voting took place in 2005). Besides the Estonian experience, we cast light on the experiences of other countries, such as the USA, Norway, Switzerland, India, etc. Priit also explains what are the main barriers that are hampering the use of i-voting, although the need for a safer option (referring to an individual's health by avoiding physical contact) to vote is getting more and more critical during the pandemic. Tune in! 

Today we invite you to listen to the episode on the next normal of digital transformation featured by futurist Thrond Arne Undheim and the former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves.  Follow their discussion on what have the governments learned from 2020 and what they have refused to learn. Moreover, the guest will talk about the trends that will influence digital transformation the most in the future, and how the "Digital Only" approach will guide the way of administration and interaction. Do we see the governments controlling the e-governance of the future or is that something we are having an hopeless situation about?   
The discussion was moderated by IT visionary Linnar Viik and was live at the e-Governance Conference 2021.

In today's episode of the Digital Government Podcast, you are welcome to meet our distinguished e-democracy expert Liia Hänni, who recently celebrated her 75th birthday! Known as the "mother" of the Estonian Constitution, she has had a massive impact in the design of Estonia's democratic face and digital society. 

Within the following 21 minutes, she talks about the relationship between technology and democracy, and how using technology influences trust towards the government. Finally, on the eve of the Estonian local elections, she sheds light on what made i-voting happen in Estonia. Tune in!

Indermit Gill is the Chief Economist of the World Bank and Senior Vice President for Development Economics. Let’s start from there, proud as we are to have hosted his keynote at this year’s e-Governance Conference. 

Known for his pioneering research and policy influence, Gill introduced the idea of the "middle-income trap" – a concept that continues to shape how nations approach economic transformation in the digital era. Something that strongly resonated with many of the conference participants, who felt it captured the challenges and hopes facing countries transitioning through digitalisation (as they made sure to let us know). 

And just after his speech set the tone and the tempo for the entire event to follow, we sat down with him for a conversation about the hard realities of long-term reform and the public role in innovation. Throughout, Gill was clear: getting out of the middle-income trap isn’t about copying past models, but making digital transformation serve people. And enable institutions to keep pace with ambition. 

Country representatives are grappling with how to turn digital transformation into genuine development. Their questions echo the message that digital tools alone are not enough. Dig in to find out, in this XL-sized episode, why meaningful change requires building the institutional capacity to integrate, govern, and innovate. 

In this episode, Heiko Vainsalu, a Senior Expert on Technology at the e-Governance Academy, debunks the most viral tech myths. These myths, expressed by buzzwords, are accompanying us while we are talking or listening to discussions on digital transformation and government innovations.

Join us to find out:

• What are today's most common tech buzzwords?
• How the following tech buzzwords influence the digital transformation of a country?
• In which area the real tech innovation is happening now?
• What are the questions innovators should ask themselves while choosing a tech solution for a country or organisation? 

Tune in to see through the buzzwords! 

Tänavu 17.oktoobril toimuvad kohalikud valimised, mille eel on kõigil soovijatel juba 12. korda võimalus e-hääletada. Pühendame oma saate e-hääletamisele ning e-riigi akadeemia eestvõttel loodud e-hääletamise heale tavale.

Saates räägivad e-hääletuse hea tava üks väljatöötajatest Liia Hänni ja kauaaegne valimisteenistuse juht, pregune E-riigi Akadeemia vanemekspert Priit Vinkel e-hääletamise protsessist ja tehtud uuendustest, valija- ja erakondade käitumisest, kordavad üle e-hääletamise põhitõed nii erakondadele kui valijatele ning kõige lõpuks ennustavad, kui populaarseks kujuneb e-hääletamine tänavu.  Saatejuht on Hannes Astok. Head kuulamist!

Taustaks:
Elektrooniline hääletamine algab esmaspäeval, 11. oktoobril kell 9.00 ja lõpeb laupäeval, 16. oktoobril kell 20.00. Valijarakendus, mille saab enda arvutisse alla laadida, avaldatakse valimiste veebilehel www.valimised.ee vahetult enne e-hääletamise algust 11. oktoobri hommikul.  E-hääletamiseks on vaja internetiühendusega turvalist arvutit ning kehtivate sertifikaatidega ID-kaarti koos kaardilugejaga või mobiil-ID­d.

In English
In October 2021, local elections will take place in Estonia. Once again, citizens can cast their votes via the Internet as well.  Due to that, we dedicate this episode to Estonian i-voting and the principles of fair i-voting, brought to you in Estonian. 

The principles of fair i-voting were born from an initiative, of the e-Governance Academy in cooperation with political parties, in 2005, when i-voting took place for the first time. The aim was to cooperatively think through the specifics of i-voting, compared to traditional voting, and to ensure the smooth implementation of the new solution.

Liia Hänni, one of the developers of the principles, and Priit Vinkel, the former head of the State Electoral Office and current senior expert at the e-Governance Academy, talk about the i-voting process and innovations, voters’ and parties’ behaviour, i-voting principles, and finally, they predict how many citizens will cast their votes via the Internet. Just as a reminder, in the last European Parliament’s elections in 2019, 46.7% of voters used the opportunity to vote online, and in the Riigikogu elections of the same year, more than 247,000 voters cast i-votes. 

Listen to the throwback of the i-voting experiences and the results of the Estonian local elections in English, on 20 October! 

Estonia is preparing for its first e-census or register-based census, where all Population and Housing Census data will be compiled from the data of the national registers. About 24 national registers will be included, and they involve data on many fields of life. Only the information that is not available in registers will be asked from people.  The e-census will take place at 00:00 on 31 December 2021.

Join our discussion with Liina Osila from Statistics Estonia to find out what have been the biggest challenges facing e-census and what preconditions a government must fulfil in order to conduct it. Also, you will find out what are the benefits of an e-census and finally, will the e-census be the next normality ? 

Tune in!

Learn more at  Statistics Estonia web-page . 

While we approach the international identity day on September 16, we are addressing the topic that concerns our identity and its use, online or offline. In today's episode, we explore with Kaija Kirch, Head of Digital Identity Technologies at Cybernetica AS, the pros and cons of using biometric data in identification and providing access online or onsite.  In particular, you will learn 

What is biometric data? 
How is biometric data used in our everyday life by businesses or governments?
Why is the use of biometric data getting more and more topical? 
What should we be aware of to avoid the misuse of biometric data?
Where do we start the effective and proper implementation of biometric data for public service provision?
How is Estonia using biometric data for public service provision? 
Will biometric data replace other procedures in the future? 

Tune in to find out!

The host of the podcast is Federico Plantera.

The globalisation of economies, technologies and communication has challenged country sovereignty relative to actions and protection. In the global scene, we can witness every day how fake news attack democracy, and how hackers do the same to supply chains, electricity networks or hospitals. The problem of one country concerns simultaneously other countries too, as we all are connected to each other.

In today's podcast, Paul Timmers, a Research Associate of the University of Oxford talks about what are a country's sovereign assets, that need our attention in the digital age, and how can countries ensure both their protection and national sovereignty. The episode is hosted by Federico Plantera. Tune in!

Read more about the digital sovereignty discussion in the EU in Paul Timmers' article 'When Sovereignty Leads and Cyber Law Follows'

At the beginning of the school year, it is timely to talk about digital skills development since digital skills are one of the most critical enablers of digital transformation. In today's episode (a recording from the e-Governance Conference 2021),  Kristo Vaher from Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communication of Estonia, Cigdem Ertem (INTEL) and Kristel Rillo shed light on what kind of digital skills governments need to lead through digital transformation programmes, and who's the responsibility it is. 

Some pure facts to introduce the topic: 

• 12% is the number of people (engineers, architects) missing from the IT sector;
• Over the year we need 1000 people more working as engineers, architects, ICT experts.
• People already working in the ICT sector need to refresh their skills as ICT is in constant development.

What does it mean to the government that aims for digital transformation? Tune in to find out!

The discussion was held at the e-Governance Conference 2021.

Cyber attacks are becoming a natural part of our digital life. Hence it is wise to know how to defend your data and infrastructure to avoid losses. In today's episode of the Digital Government Podcast, we invite you to explore how governments and organisations can be better prepared for cyber attacks. Two distinguished cyber experts Ragnar Rattas, from CybExer Technologies, and Merle Maigre, from eGA, talk about the cyber exercises, their kinds, features, and benefits. They also cast light on the recent cyber exercise held for Ukrainian cyber experts, and explain how to conduct them in a meaningful and efficient way. Interested in exploring more? Tune in! 

In this episode, Ville Sirviö, the CEO of the Nordic Institute for Interoperability Solutions (NIIS), casts light on how to get digital data securely running between two countries, based on the X-road trust federation, and how citizens of Finland and Estonia have benefited from it. As we know, Finland and Estonia are exchanging data of their population and business registers, and also their tax boards. Moreover, the information of medical prescriptions is also available across borders. Ville explains the enablers of making such data exchange happen and NIIS's role in all of this. Wondering how many countries have already functional X-Roads, or is the X-Road functional in your country as well? Tune in to find out!

After the episode, you are welcome to learn more about how the X-road has been implemented globally and could benefit your country at x-road.global

In today's episode, Urmo Kübar, the former advisor to the Estonian President and the Executive Director of Praxis, talks about the role of civil society organizations in a digital society and explains how can they benefit from digital tools for building a more seamless society.  Being involved in the Estonian civic society development for more than 20 years, he is the right person to cast light on the topic. 

In the episode, he also makes a throwback to the early years of civil society organizations in Estonia, and brings examples of how a worldwide known civic initiative 'Let's do it!' has used digital tools to gain its purpose: clean the world from illegally dumped trash. 
The episode is hosted by Federico Plantera.

Tune in!

This year’s e-Governance Conference – A Digital Decade in One Year – looks at the implications of the accelerated digital transformation resulting from the pandemic. The programme creates space to explore the new normal in which we find ourselves today, and the next normal that we are entering.  In the build-up to the Conference, our podcasts will introduce some main speakers and topics that will take part in the programme.

Together with Kristina Mänd, Senior Expert on e-Democracy (eGA), we unpack the concept of digital responsibility and explore the role of governments as well as civil society organisations (CSOs) in achieving better outcomes in the field. Tune in!

At the upcoming e-Governance Conference, the session “Digital Responsibility: Government and the Civil Society View” on 20 May will dive further into the expectations for governments and CSOs in achieving greater accountability in the digital realm. Joining Kristina Mänd will be Robert Bjarnason, President & CEO of Citizens Foundation (Iceland) and Aldo Merkoci, Executive Director at MJAFT! (Albania). 
Catch the LIVE discussion by registering to the conference at 2021.egovconference.ee/

 
 

Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility that requires strong partnerships between governments and businesses. Governments, therefore, face the challenge of adapting to a world where – in the cyber domain – the state is not the sole provider of intelligence or security, and private sector emerges as a cyber intelligence actor. 

In this Podcast episode, eGA’s Head of Cybersecurity Merle Maigre speaks with Jack McCurley, a senior intelligence consultant at Recorded Future, about what it takes to build national resilience when the threats are global and decentralised. “Threat actors are networked. If defenders aren’t, we’re already behind,” he says. 

A first look, here, into the tools and public-private cooperation in cyber threat intelligence sharing reshaping cybersecurity from the inside out. All in anticipation of the e-Governance Conference 2025 session on public-private partnerships on the matter, where today’s speakers will be joined by Liga Raita Rozentale and Nerses Yeritsyan to discuss how shared responsibility can be turned into shared defence. 

This year’s e-Governance Conference – A Digital Decade in One Year – looks at the implications of the accelerated digital transformation resulting from the pandemic. The programme creates space to explore the new normal in which we find ourselves today, and the next normal that we are entering.

In the build-up to the Conference, our podcasts will introduce some main speakers and topics that will take part in the programme. With Siim Sikkut, CIO of the Government of Estonia, we explore Estonia’s experience in adapting to the new normal and consider what the next normal  has in store for national digital transformation plans. Tune in!

This year’s e-Governance Conference – A Digital Decade in One Year – looks at the implications of the accelerated digital transformation resulting from the pandemic. The programme creates space to explore the new normal in which we find ourselves today, and the next normal that we are entering.

In the build-up to the Conference, our podcasts will introduce some main speakers and topics that will take part in the programme. 

In today's episode, interoperability expert Heiko Vainsalu invites you to explore interoperability, and why countries need it when developing e-government. Heiko shares some insights into various ways of reaching interoperability, and explains on what the approach should be based. Moreover, he sheds light on why some countries succeed and others not. More closely he discusses Mongolia's approach towards interoperability.  
The episode is hosted by Federico Plantera.
Tune in!

Join us at the e-Governance Conference https://2021.egovconference.ee/ to hear more about what helps countries become digitally interoperable! The session 'Lessons on How to Make Data Run, Not People' will feature  

Ville Sirviö – Chief Executive Officer, Nordic Institute for Interoperability Solutions, 
Riho Kurg – Head of Data Exchange Technologies, Cybernetica, 
Arvo Ott – Director of e-Governance Technologies and Member of the Management Board, e-Governance Academy. 
And will be moderated by Heiko Vainsalu.

This year’s e-Governance Conference – A Digital Decade in One Year – looks at the implications of the accelerated digital transformation resulting from the pandemic. The programme creates space to explore the new normal  in which we find ourselves today and the next normal  that we are entering.

In the build-up to the Conference, our podcasts will introduce some of the main speakers that will take part in the programme. One of the keynotes will be delivered by Trond Arne Undheim - futurist, investor, author and entrepreneur. Together we discussed the future of e-governance and the considerations for leaders preparing for the next normal.  Tune in!

For more than four years, the e-Governance Academy's team has assisted digital transformation in Ukraine by creating the conditions for digital services' provision. In this episode, our Ukrainian team leader, Mari Pedak, casts light on the technical developments within the EGOV4Ukraine project, the organisational developments in the Ukrainian government, and the changes in Ukraine's officials' and citizens' attitude towards digital solutions and services during the last years. 

According to Mari Pedak, this change can be summarised as: within four years the question "Why do we need the Trembita data exchange platform and the Vulyk information system?" has changed into "When will they be ready?".  Since the work that the EGOV4Ukraine project team has done is not as easy as a walk in the park, Mari also discusses the invisible work behind the scenes that the team had to do. 

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With the COVID19 vaccines developed and immunization campaigns being rolled out, governments and international organisations are now seeking a way to harmonize how to exit the crisis with vaccine certificates.

In this Digital Government Podcast, we invite you to examine what are the technological and organisational enablers to raise trust towards vaccine certificates.

The podcast features Konstantin Hyppönen (EC), Ain Aaviksoo (Guardtime) and Vincent van Pelt (Nictiz) and is hosted by Paul Timmers, the distinguished expert on digital health.

The episode is the recording of Digital Transformation Talks, which is a series of timely online discussions organised by the e-Governance Academy. For more information, visit the Digital Transformation Talks’ website ega.ee/ehealthsecurity.

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In this episode, we invite you to listen to the topical discussion on cross-border health-data exchange challenges due to the new vaccine certificate. We examine the challenges and opportunities from the perspective of hospitals, governments and worldwide organisations as the World Health Organisation. How could we benefit from the health data exchange between countries? Why it is so hard to reach? Will the Global Trust Framework led by the World Health Organisation make it happen?

The discussion features Clayton Hamilton from the World Health Organisation; Dr Terje Peetso, from the North Estonia Medical Centre (Estonia); Marten Kaevats from the Government Office of Estonia and is moderated by Merle Maigre from the e-Governance Academy.

The episode is the recording of Digital Transformation Talks, which is a series of timely online discussions organised by the e-Governance Academy. For more information, visit the Digital Transformation Talks’ website ega.ee/ehealthsecurity.   

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Cyber threats and attacks are part of the daily management of IT systems and e-services. Usually, we, as regular users of e-services, do not know about attacks as long as the e-service is available and working. In this episode, Epp Maaten, Programme Director of Cyber Security, talks about how to secure e-services, IT systems or even networks from cyber attacks. She casts light on a process called 'penetration testing' that will give an overview of vulnerabilities in the targeted cyber environment and the risks associated with it. Close to hacking, penetration testing is a very useful method to keep IT systems and e-services safe. 
Tune in to find out more!

The COVID19 pandemic has created a new reality for the healthcare sector, globally testing its limits. The European Commission, along with the World Health Organisation, is looking for a scalable digital infrastructure for secure vaccination certification to help governments to reopen societies and economies.  

In this episode, Merle Maigre, the organizer of the Digital Transformation Talks introduces the digital health security discussions that will take place on 24 March online. The discussion will focus on digital health solutions and the challenges governments and the health sector is facing. “For credible future digital health solutions, we need people to understand better both the medical and the cybersecurity challenges,” is she convinced. 

The podcast is hosted by Federico Plantera.

For more information about the event, visit the Digital Transformation Talks’ website ega.ee/ehealthsecurity .

Register now to ensure your spot HERE.

Digital technologies have become ever more embedded in our everyday lives, introducing topical questions over their fair and ethical use. Openness and transparency in service delivery enable such requests. But, also, these trigger a change in values and attitudes that intensify pressure on governments and companies to be more accountable for the impact of their activities.

This impact might be social, economic, environmental, technological – and still, falling under the wide umbrella of the consequences of digitalisation. So how do we define this new set of expectations? 

Linnar Viik, Programme Director of Smart Governance at e-Governance Academy, introduces us to the vibrant debate on Corporate Digital Responsibility.  The episode is hosted by Federico Plantera. 

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In this episode of the Digital Government Podcast, our guest Marten Kaevats, the National Digital Advisor of the Estonian Government, will shed light on why and how to deploy artificial intelligence for public service provision. Is AI a viral buzzword or a beneficial tool to make public service provision smarter and more efficient? 

He familiarizes us with the new creature, the ‘Kratt’, that assists the Estonian government in deploying public services. And last, but not least, he shares with us how the engagement of AI will shape public sector thinking and procurement habits. 

The podcast is hosted by Federico Plantera.

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The EU’s Digital Decade 2030 agenda lays out an ambitious vision: a digitally skilled population, secure and sustainable infrastructure, modernised public services, and a thriving digital business environment. But how do we get there in a way that is concrete, practical, and scalable? 

In this Digital Government Podcast episode, we sat down with Federico Menna, CEO of EIT Digital and the keynote speaker of the e-Governance Conference 2025. With a background spanning both telecom innovation and pan-European tech investment, Menna brings a dual perspective. And his message is clear: Europe must lead through strategic digital investment rooted in public value, ecosystem cohesion, and global competitiveness. 

On Estonia's Independence Day on 24 February, we are glad to share with you the secret behind the digital transformation success story of Estonia. So, why did Estonia succeed?

To a great extent, Estonia's success is a story of luck and timing. But hindsight has allowed the architects of the digital state to extract a blueprint to support digitalisation in other countries.

With Linnar Viik, our Programme Director of Smart Governance, we reflect on the components that benefited Estonia’s digital transformation and the mindset that can help any country succeed. Follow us! And Happy Independence Day Estonia!

By now, we have become familiar with how the relationship between big tech firms and governments has largely been portrayed in the media. So often it looks like a clash between opposing factions – the first standing on its ground to keep the market as free as possible, with the latter proposing laws to holding these companies increasingly more accountable.

Is there, actually, a conflict between these two forces? A rather conciliatory response to this puzzle comes from Katrin Nyman-Metcalf, the Senior Legal Expert at e-Governance Academy. Through her contribution, we explore who makes the rules on the Internet today and why offering tech giants a seat at the law-making table could lead to more effective regulatory environments. Tune in!

Welcome to our 26th episode of the Digital Government Podcast! In today's episode, Janek Rozov, Strategy Director at the Information Technology and Development Center of the Ministry of Interior and the former Chief Digital Officer of the Estonian Government, clarifies the questions that should be answered before going digital with public services. We talk about the value of e-services, the legislation behind it, and the connectivity and social context of public e-services. Tune in!