On 14 Feb 2019, DIGINNO WP4 Lead (Aalborg University Cph) together with Latvia’s Ministry of Environmental Protection & Regional Development organised a seminar in Riga on the topic of "Cross-border e-services ownership and delivery: How to make the services more efficient?". The aim was to identify and discuss challenges related to ownership and delivery aspects of cross-border e-services (G2B). The seminar should not only provide knowledge and inspiration but also give inputs for policy recommendations for a planned round table in Norway end of 2019.
The seminar mobilized 52 participants from seven countries, a mix of project partners and external stakeholders, representing public authorities, industry associations, companies and universities, including representatives from the European Commission and Nordic Council of Ministers. After EU introductions to the policy framework for cross-border e-services, comments were given from member state partners together with examples of ongoing cross-border pilot services in the BSR. Challenges and bottlenecks as well as business needs and priorities were presented and discussed together with inputs from the ongoing showcase work in DIGINNO WP3.
Among the key conclusions were that the main challenge is cross border interoperability, accompanied by ID issues, lack of trust, risks of fragmentation and nationalism/protectionism regarding what sectors and technologies to prioritise in developing cross-border solutions. Technically, interoperability should not be a problem but a common legal/policy environment is needed to support a smooth process for handling data cross-border. What type of policies could we agree on? What would fit and bridge the specific national conditions and priorities? How can we make technologies compatible and agree on which data to share? These are some of the questions that were raised at the seminar. Once again it was confirmed that the main aim of DIGINNO is to test – in an informal and pragmatic setting - how we can work together across borders and develop common solutions to common challenges.
Further information: Torben Aaberg, WP4 Lead, AAU, toraa@cmi.aau.dk