Transformative Power of Digital: Central and Eastern Europe’s leap towards greater prosperity, innovation and resilience – a new joint report by the Centre for European Perspective and the Kosciuszko Institute

  Together with the Kosciuszko Institute, the Centre for European Perspective – CEP is proud to announce a joint report, Transformative Power of Digital: Central and Eastern Europe’s leap towards greater prosperity, innovation and resilience. DO NOT MISS the inaugural discussion around cooperation on digital transformation in CEE and the report’s main points! On the 6th of May, the Centre for European Perspective – CEP and the Kosciuszko Institute will hold a joint webinar to discuss the region’s digital future’s economic, security, and geopolitical aspects.  

Register for the webinar herehttps://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ljaul2lFQcSffsmhH74yvw

  This discussion, organized by the Centre for European Perspective – CEP in partnership with the Kosciuszko institute, will be moderated by Katja Geršak, Executive Director of the Centre for European Perspective, with opening address by Izabela Albrycht, Chair of the Kosciuszko Institute and speakers Peter Geršak, State Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration of the Republic of Slovenia, Robert Kośla, Director of the Department of Cybersecurity, The Chancellery of The Prime Minister of Poland, Ambassador Tadeusz Chomicki, Ambassador for Cyber & Tech Affairs, Security Policy Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, and Ambassador Nele Leosk, Ambassador-at-Large for Digital Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Estonia.  

The debate will put focus on the questions:

  • How will digitalization contribute to the resilience of the region?
  • How would closer cooperation of the region impact the EU discussions around the concept of strategic autonomy?
  • What role does the Transatlantic partnership play in enhancing regional cooperation?

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on our economies, workplaces, daily habits, as well as international relations. It has put a damper on globalization and accentuated global rivalries. It brought with it an increased sense of vulnerability. But as with every crisis, it also ushered in unique opportunities by greatly accelerating digital adoption. The CEE now has a chance to make a true leap in digital development. This can only be achieved through close regional cooperation aimed at fostering digital transformation.

 

The report provides an overview of crucial needs and areas for CEE countries to leap to a digitally-enabled future and overcome centuries-old fragmentation and disjointment of infrastructure that hampers its development. The publication aims to define a strategic direction that has to be pursued so CEE can emerge as a cohesive region that enables dynamic, profitable and innovative intra-regional cooperation. Through cooperation, the countries of the region should strive to:

  • foster a thriving digital market, where enterprises are able with the use of digital tools to scale up their operations to a regional level,
  • create the necessary conditions and regulatory environment that contribute to the strengthening and development of Europe’s industrial and technological capacities.
  • advance smart connectivity in CEE through investments and joint undertakings in the development of state-of-the-art digital infrastructure linking the region from North to South,
  • work together and coordinate on their endeavours in building digital capabilities necessary for maintaining and enhancing region’s position in European and global economy,
  • cybersecurity by design has to be embedded in every digital venture embarked on (regardless of the sector), and closer cooperation between regional cybersecurity institutions should be pursued to build up regions’ cyber resilience,
  • increase their efforts to accelerate the 3 Seas Initiative aimed to develop infrastructure in energy, transport and digital sectors, which also provides an excellent venue for strengthening the region, EU’s overall cohesion and resilience, and Transatlantic relations.

 

Read the executive summary and download the report HERE: Transformative Power of Digital

Register for the webinar on the 6th of May HERE.