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Digital Government Podcast

by e-Governance Academy · English · News

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 fo

New episodes: Every two weeks
Typical length: 38 min
Latest: 6 Jul 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

6 Jul 2026 · 43 min

The UN Global Mechanism and the next phase of cyber diplomacy

At this year's Tallinn Cyber Diplomacy Summer School, one question kept coming up: how can international cyber agreements move beyond diplomatic language and translate into real action? The question is particularly timely as the United Nations Global Mechanism prepares for its upcoming meeting in New York this July, an important milestone for the permanent UN process on responsible state behaviour in cyberspace. In this episode of the Digital Government Podcast, recorded during the Summer Sch...

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S7 · E7 · 27 May 2026 · 45 min
What it takes to get AI working in government: Lessons from Estonia
The last time Ott Velsberg appeared on this podcast was early 2022. Popular LLMs had not yet been released. The conversation was about how AI could support data-driven decision-making in government – a topic that felt, at the time, more prospective than operational. Four years on, with Estonia counting over 220 public sector AI use cases and close to 60 million euros in estimated annual impact, the frame has shifted. So, it is now less about what AI in government could look like and more abou...
S7 · E6 · 14 May 2026 · 43 min
Supporting the EU Member States in advancing reforms and innovation
When governments across Europe try to modernise, the challenge is rarely that they lack ambition or resources. More often, what is missing is the space to think carefully before acting – to understand what the actual problem is, what has already been tried elsewhere, and who inside the administration will need to carry the change forward. The European Union’s Technical Support Instrument (TSI) was built around exactly that gap: not funding, but structured expert support, delivered at the mome...
S7 · E5 · 15 Apr 2026 · 47 min
Ivo Visak: AI in education starts with a question, not an answer
Thirty years ago, Estonia launched Tiger Leap, a programme that put computers and internet in every school and, in many ways, laid the groundwork for a digital society what we have known to call e-Estonia. Today, the country is attempting something just as ambitious with artificial intelligence (AI) in education. But the conditions are different this time. When Tiger Leap started in 1996, neither the schools nor the students had the technology – everybody had to learn together. Now, the...
S7 · E4 · 1 Apr 2026 · 41 min
Digital public infrastructure and the foundations of AI in government with Krisstina Rao
Governments are racing to adopt AI in public services. EU-funded projects show the pace is only accelerating. But this push raises a deeper question: what lies beneath? Too often, the answer is the same – weak or uneven digital foundations. Digital public infrastructure (DPI) can help integrate and connect siloed systems into a coherent digital government platform. So, where does it stand globally, as an enabler of AI development? What makes it work? And why does it matter more than ever for ...
S7 · E3 · 25 Feb 2026 · 38 min
What leadership through digital change actually looks like with Taimar Peterkop
Leadership in the public sector has always demanded resilience. This is best exemplified by three elements: 1) the ability to hold long-term vision steady while reacting to short-term pressures, 2) to build consensus across institutions that do not naturally cooperate, and 3) to keep an organisation moving when the ground shifts beneath it. Digital transformation has sharpened all of these demands. The leaders steering this process need more than technical knowledge. They need self-awareness,...
S7 · E2 · 27 Jan 2026 · 31 min
Ukraine builds citizen control into its data infrastructure
Following Estonia’s example, Ukraine is launching a Personal Data Access Monitoring Subsystem embedded in Trembita, the government’s secure data exchange platform. The mechanism allows every Ukrainian to see who accessed their personal data stored in government registers. In this episode we host Yurii Kopytin, Senior Expert at the e-Governance Academy, and Hannes Astok, our Executive Director, about what transparency means in practice in Ukraine and, on the side, in Estonia too. Tune in...
S7 · E1 · 14 Jan 2026 · 33 min
With the data tracker, visibility prevents misuse
The topic of data protection spans the entire spectrum of the internet, from when users surf the web to when they benefit from efficient online services as citizens. Cookie banners, privacy policies, GDPR compliance notices – all and more. And yet, for how practical the concept and its implications are, it still remains quite abstract for many. The rules exist, across the globe, actually, but the reality of what happens to your data most often stays invisible. Estonia has taken a different ap...
S6 · E26 · 10 Dec 2025 · 29 min
How to rethink growth in the intangible economy? A Case from Finland
We sit down with Eeva Hellström, Senior Lead in Foresight and Training at the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, to explore one of today’s most urgent questions: how do we value what we cannot see? Eeva explains why traditional economic models overlook the “invisible” factors that increasingly shape our economies. And why failing to recognise them leaves policymakers with critical blind spots. We discuss: ✅ Why digital transformation shouldn’t be measured only by short-term ROI. ✅ The envi...
S6 · E25 · 26 Nov 2025 · 31 min
Reform calls for digitalisation, and the other way around with Margus Sarapuu
In this episode, governance expert Margus Sarapuu cuts through one of the biggest myths in government transformation: that digitalisation and public administration reform can happen separately. Spoiler: they can’t. From Estonia and Ukraine to Moldova, Bangladesh, and Kosovo, Sarapuu shares why digital reforms often stall and how governments can avoid the trap of layering shiny tech on top of unreformed bureaucracy. If you’re looking at how to build resilient, future-proof governance sys...
S6 · E24 · 12 Nov 2025 · 45 min
The learning curve for effective AI in government
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 le...
S6 · E23 · 29 Oct 2025 · 34 min
Caring with data in a healthy digital society
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 improv...
S6 · E22 · 15 Oct 2025 · 39 min
Twenty years online: Lessons from internet voting in Estonia
Two decades ago, Estonia made democratic history. In 2005, it became the first country to hold legally binding national elections using internet voting. At the time, it was a bold and technically complex initiative. But twenty years later, i-voting has not only endured – it has grown to become the preferred method for a majority of Estonian voters. What can we learn from this story of digital continuity? In this podcast episode, Liia Hänni, digital democracy expert and former Esto...
S6 · E20 · 1 Oct 2025 · 33 min
Cyber safety as a public good in Moldova
When cybersecurity becomes a national and societal priority, the challenge for governments is to ensure relevant messages resonate broadly, are easily understood, and are culturally meaningful. This means going beyond technical language or one-size-fits-all solutions, and instead working with local trends, social dynamics, and communication habits that shape how citizens engage with digital risks. In this podcast episode, Rica Williams, Senior Expert at the e-Governance Academy, a...
S6 · E19 · 17 Sep 2025 · 38 min
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, EuroStac...
S6 · E18 · 3 Sep 2025 · 36 min
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 transforma...
S6 · E18 · 20 Aug 2025 · 41 min
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 plac...
S6 · E17 · 6 Aug 2025 · 42 min
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 G...
S6 · E16 · 23 Jul 2025 · 43 min
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 digi...
S6 · E15 · 9 Jul 2025 · 33 min
Cyber diplomacy and the fight for values-based technology with Johanna Weaver
At the Tallinn Cyber Diplomacy Summer School this year, an idea resonated across sessions: our digital world is entwined into the fabric of society, influencing our security, values, and future prosperity. In this podcast episode, we sat down for a conversation on technology, diplomacy and values with Johanna Weaver, Executive Director of the Tech Policy Design Institute, Australia. She offers a perspective that breaks away from technicism and focuses on what matters down the line – how...
S6 · E14 · 25 Jun 2025 · 42 min
Where states draw the line in cyber law, feat. Tallinn Cyber Diplomacy Summer School
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...
S6 · E13 · 11 Jun 2025 · 36 min
The global conversation on AI governance feat Tallinn Cyber Diplomacy Summer School
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 a...
S6 · E12 · 4 Jun 2025 · 46 min
Digital growth beyond the middle-income trap
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 part...
S6 · E11 · 21 May 2025 · 32 min
Cyber threat intelligence as public defence, privately informed
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 ta...
S6 · E10 · 14 May 2025 · 37 min
From ecosystems to impact, digital and economic growth is collaborative
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 innovati...
S6 · E9 · 30 Apr 2025 · 42 min
What leaders must know about the game of AI governance
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 cutt...
S6 · E8 · 16 Apr 2025 · 35 min
Purposeful leadership drives real digital transformation
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 bring...
S6 · E7 · 2 Apr 2025 · 39 min
Competence Centre Boosts Public Service Development in Ukraine
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 ...
S6 · E6 · 19 Mar 2025 · 34 min
Interoperability as a Digital Twin of People’s Mobility in the Caribbean
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...
S6 · E5 · 5 Mar 2025 · 28 min
Digital Skills Build Stronger, Supportive Communities
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. Depa...

About Digital Government Podcast

Digital Government Podcast is a English news podcast from e-Governance Academy. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: e-Governance Academy
Language: English
Category: News
New episodes: Every two weeks
Typical length: 38 min
Latest episode: 6 Jul 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1526423715

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