Programme

In parallel with the increasing number of e-services and digital transformation, the need for security of communication networks and digital platforms is increasing and resilience-building against the various forms of network attacks in the cyberspace is of crucial importance. Threats to network and digital security—such as cyber terrorism, cyber espionage, access to critical and personal information, data and identity theft—are continually changing, and as a consequence, the vulnerability of governments and individuals is becoming more and more visible. Our speakers will focus on the main security challenges in this field and they will also discuss the available solutions and tools to counter the existing and potentially emerging risks and challenges.

Over the last decade, the European Union has developed a proactive climate policy and has integrated a significant amount of renewable resources—such as wind and solar—into the established energy system. Energy transition and shifting to renewable energy and energy efficiency are crucial priorities of the European Commission. Our speakers will analyse the current achievements and the planned renewable energy investments in the V4 region. The experts will also discuss the EU objectives related to renewable energy, with a special emphasis on the national strategies of the V4 countries, as well as the existing gaps and challenges.

Information and communication technology have become an unavoidable factor in every aspect of today’s world, including the public sector. Digital transformation is widely viewed as an important step towards a more effective and transparent form of governance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for digital access to key areas of public administration became even more pronounced. In this panel, experts in the field of building and evaluating e-government and e-economy frameworks from Estonia, Central Europe, and the EU will discuss the main indicators of a successful system.

• How can governments encourage further digital transformation after the pandemic in Central Europe?
• How can digitalisation improve public and private sector?
• How can a higher level of transparency be achieved?
• What are the good examples from Central Europe and Estonia? Is there a field of cooperation?

We are living in the age of Big Data, when more and more concerns arise about data security. As the pandemic is accelerating the digital transformation of nearly every aspect of our daily lives, the need of social contract on the question of business and individual data privacy is increasingly challenging. In addition to creating digital trust among society in Central Europe, one of the most important steps toward the success of e-governance is implementing good governance while avoiding surveillance abuse and curbing the growing threat of “techno-authoritarianism.” On the part of individuals, along with these challenges, digital awareness has an increasingly significant role as e-governance is becoming truly realistic and apparently inevitable in the post–COVID era. Our distinguished speakers will discuss these matters and possible solutions to them.

COVID-19 brought challenging economic times to the world, it has put a sizeable dent in the earnings of several business sectors, as well. Many businesses and consumers increasingly “went digital,” we have seen a strong uptake of e-commerce since the pandemic took hold. Without a doubt, countries like Estonia (an emerging hub for global e-commerce activity), that harness the potential of e-commerce are better placed to benefit from global markets. On the other hand, there are businesses that have recognized the importance of sustainable innovation and transformation, already before the pandemic, and remained strong pillars of the economy. There are a number of industries where, in recent years, great changes have taken place, and innovation has transformed the environment in which we live. After-pandemic improvement with focus on sustainability, innovation, and digitalisation might be key pillars driving the recovery of the economy, and new fields of cooperation can arise in which V4 has to find its new position, as well.

• Can the acceleration of sustainability, innovation, and digitalisation help emerge stronger from the COVID-19 crisis?
• How sustainability helps the business sector to address challenges, and how can innovation spur and secure success over the long term?
• Which might be the new ways of digitalising and diversifying revenue streams after the pandemic? How can businesses leverage their network in the digital society?
• How can the Estonian experience of building digital services help to create a sustainable retail system?

With more and more information being available on a daily basis, humanity truly has all the answers at its fingertips. But how can someone know whether the gathered information is valid or fake? In the past year, the amount of so-called “fake news” has risen to an all-time high while we are experiencing infodemic. One of the most important topics of nowadays is vaccination, which would finally lead humanity to start living like before the pandemic again. But what are the dangers of the fake news pandemic after the COVID-19 is handled? An example is presented by the Estonian government’s campaign to educate children starting from elementary school to help them become digital citizens from a very young age. This not only helps protect the young population of Estonia, but also creates a safe net for society from the spread of disinformation from the very ground levels of society. The Ministry of Education and Research has stepped in to teach the Estonian netizens digital skills and how to stay safe online. From this perspective, and based on this kind of knowledge, how can the V4 cooperate to create a systematic approach in countering disinformation? How can society be taught to counter disinformation, and maybe most importantly, how can one stay safe online?