Digital Government Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Where states draw the line in cyber law, feat. Tallinn Cyber Diplomacy Summer School Jun 25, 2025

Show notes

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.

The global conversation on AI governance feat Tallinn Cyber Diplomacy Summer School Jun 11, 2025

Show notes

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!

Digital growth beyond the middle-income trap Jun 04, 2025

Show notes

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.

Cyber threat intelligence as public defence, privately informed May 21, 2025

Show notes

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.

From ecosystems to impact, digital and economic growth is collaborative May 14, 2025

Show notes

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.

What leaders must know about the game of AI governance Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

Artificial intelligence is moving into the mainstream of government and industry, and with it comes new responsibilities. Mapping today’s AI landscape, then, means looking into the behavioural shifts it triggers, the governance frameworks it demands, and the global power dynamics it reshuffles.

In this Digital Government Podcast episode we’re joined by Matthew Blakemore, CEO of AI Caramba! and a leading architect behind the ISO/IEC 8183 international AI standard. Known for bridging cutting-edge innovation with public value, Blakemore has helped shape global conversations on AI data governance, ethical deployment, and public sector readiness.

In preparation for his keynote at the e-Governance Conference 2025, we draw from practical frameworks and his experience advising governments and media networks to explore how to govern AI with clarity, caution, and intention. Well before algorithms outpace the institutions meant to oversee them.

Purposeful leadership drives real digital transformation Apr 16, 2025

Show notes

What does it mean to lead digital transformation when the stakes are high, and the playbook is being written in real time? Statesmanship shines in this Digital Government Podcast episode with Taimar Peterkop, Estonia’s former State Secretary now with e-Governance Academy, and one of the architects behind the country’s acclaimed digital governance model.

From navigating the 2017 ID-card crisis, to coordinating national responses during the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, Peterkop brings front-row insight into the real-world meaning of purposeful leadership.

Competence Centre Boosts Public Service Development in Ukraine Apr 02, 2025

Show notes

While governments worldwide keep evolving and adapting to new ways of rolling out public services, Ukraine – even faced with a full-scale military aggression – offers a compelling example of how savvy transformation processes can bring services closer to people. Here is where the Digital Competence Centre (DCC)/ Центр цифрових компетенцій steps in, as a hub for the development, standardisation, and optimisation of Ukraine’s public digital services.

Two guests join us in this episode to illustrate how it all comes together. Iryna Zabolotna, Head of the Department for the Implementation of Electronic Services at the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, and Mykhailo Kornieiev, Senior Expert on Information Technology at the e-Governance Academy (eGA).

Methodology, challenges, and impact of digital service development in Ukraine – get a hold of the progress made, and the valuable lessons that may help governments worldwide improve their service delivery.

Interoperability as a Digital Twin of People’s Mobility in the Caribbean Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

There’s motion in the Caribbean region. The area is known for its constant movement of people, businesses, and services across national borders. Whether for work, trade, or social reasons, citizens routinely engage in cross-border exchanges. Interoperability, as a consequence, becomes a prerequisite and enabler of these (and further) exchanges.

Rodney Taylor, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), and Heiko Vainsalu, Senior Expert at the e-Governance Academy, join us in this podcast episode to explore how facilitating such exchange extends beyond matters of technology. Rather, it is a natural step to translate existing patterns of movement and collaboration into the digital space.

Digital Skills Build Stronger, Supportive Communities Mar 05, 2025

Show notes

Once past the first point of emergency, integration into a new society is not limited to finding – as basic as the need is – only a safe place to live. It’s also about access to services, employment, and a sense of community, too. For many Ukrainians who relocated to Estonia following the full-scale war launched by Russia, digital skills can be the key to more easily addressing the needs of this new reality.

The DEUCE project, led by the e-Governance Academy and funded by the U.S. Department of State, has done great in supporting this transition by empowering Ukrainian refugees with digital skills, strengthening their self-sufficiency, and training community resilience.

At the heart of the initiative are “digital envoys” – volunteers, trained to help fellow community members better engage with Estonia’s digital society. Through targeted mini-projects, including tools to prevent scams, improve access to local services, and enhance job market readiness, we explore what digital inclusion encompasses with Dmytro Khutkyy, Expert in Governance & Engagement at e-Governance Academy, and DEUCE digital envoy Olena Denysenko, also Analyst in Political Studies at Tartu University.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Digital Government Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected