Digital Governance Summit 2025
How it was
Keynote: From Vision to Implementation: Lessons from Estonia's Digital State
speaker
Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Former President of the Republic of Estonia
moderator
Smaranda Heroiu
Executive Director, Upgrade100
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In his keynote, President Toomas Hendrik Ilves presented how Estonia has built one of the most advanced digital governance systems, based on secure digital identity, strong encryption and a distributed architecture without a central database. He highlighted the role of legal digital signatures, robust authentication and data integrity protection through permissioned blockchain. Ilves showed how these foundations have made services such as e-prescriptions, fast tax filing and cross-border healthcare access possible. The central message: digital transformation requires a single infrastructure, trust, transparency and strong political leadership.
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Keynote: From public policy to final product: Political will and digital implementation
speaker
Janusz Cieszyński
Former Minister of Digitalization in the Republic of Poland
moderator
Diana Stafie
Founder of futureStation & Board Member Edge Institute
vezi toți speakerii
Janusz Cieszyński presented lessons from Poland’s digital transformation, insisting that leadership and rapid delivery are essential. He explained how citizens’ expectations are shaped by global platforms, making AI a central tool for accelerating service delivery. He gave as examples the launch of a digital identity for Ukrainian refugees in three weeks and the issuance of a million IDs in 30 days. Cieszyński highlighted the success of the mObywatel super app, built with user engagement and investment in design. He stressed the need for strong internal teams, support for technical experts, cutting out jargon and focusing on products that people actually use.
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Panel (RO): Digital Transformation Actors – Multi-sectoral Perspectives on a National Digital Consensus
speaker
Elena Calistru
Co-Founder and President of Funky Citizens
speaker
Răzvan Rughiniș
Co-founder of Innovation Labs and Board Member of Edge Institute
moderator
Bianca Oanea
Centrul pentru Jurnalism Independent
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Romania is a country of digital paradoxes: high connectivity, rapid adoption of technology, yet few skills, limited public services, and deep institutional distrust.
In this conversation, Bianca Oanea, Elena Calistru, and Răzvan Rughiniș discuss the role of media education, the limits of transparency without practice, the impact of algorithms on shared reality, and the need for a new social contract. From electronic identity and the digitization of important services, to universities, administration, and the European Union, the dialogue explores what is missing for technology to become a factor of cohesion and prosperity, not fragmentation.
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Fireside chat: Digital transformation as a vector of national unity: Bringing the diaspora closer and combating disinformation
speaker
Nicușor Dan
President of Romania
moderator
Radu Puchiu
e-Government Expert
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Romania is at a decisive moment of digital transformation, and the dialogue between Radu Puchiu and Nicușor Dan highlighted the essential directions for the future of the state. The discussion started from the new defense strategy and the technological impact on national security, emphasizing the need for an administration that works coherently with data and automatic mechanisms for detecting disinformation. The relationship with the diaspora was also analyzed, where digitalized consular services and an updated map of Romanian communities can create strategic opportunities. Finally, the role of the Presidency in forming a unitary vision for digitalization and the need for an administrative culture that puts the citizen at the center were discussed.
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Fireside chat: The future of digital governance in Romania: a vision for the citizen
speaker
Oana Gheorghiu
Deputy Prime Minister
speaker
Mihai Jurca
Head of the Prime Minister's Chancellery
moderator
Dragoș Stanca
Board Member Edge Institute, Founder Upgrade 100
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The perspectives of Oana Gheorghiu and Mihai Jurca, in a discussion moderated by Dragoș Stanca on the strategic directions of Romania's digitalization. The dialogue addresses structural issues such as institutional fragmentation, lack of coordination and the need for a command center for digital transformation. The reform of administrative processes, modernization of databases, elimination of redundancies and the need for "invisible" infrastructure for efficient services are discussed. The conversation includes topics regarding public trust, collaboration with the private sector and civil society, digital inclusion and the importance of a unitary vision oriented towards the citizen.
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Digitalization of Romania: directions, bottlenecks and solutions – Government-Private dialogue within the Digital Governance Summit
speaker
Elisabeta Moraru
Country Director, Google
speaker
Radu Miruță
Minister of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism
speaker
Alexandru Nazare
Board Member Edge Institute, Founder Upgrade 100
speaker
Dragoș Pîslaru
Minister of Investments and European Projects
speaker
Iulian Stanciu
Executive President eMAG
moderator
Dragoș Stanca
Founder of Upgrade100 and Board Member of Edge Institute
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Romania faces a rare opportunity: to rebuild its digital architecture on a modern, coherent and citizen-oriented basis. At the Digital Governance Summit 2025, ministers and private sector leaders discussed the current fragmentation, the urgent need for coordination at the government level and the importance of a unified strategy that goes beyond political cycles. From the “invisible” infrastructure needed to connect databases, to digital education, cybersecurity and public-private collaborations, all participants underlined the same direction: digitalization cannot be an end in itself, but a means to better public services, transparency and a competitive economy. Romania has the resources – technical and human – but success depends on vision, consistency and leadership.
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Digitalization of a rural community: what's the secret?
speaker
Gheorghe Damian
Mayor of Ciugud, Alba County
moderator
Dragoș Stanca
Board Member Edge Institute, Founder Upgrade 100
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Ciugud is one of the clearest examples of digital transformation at the local level in Romania, and the dialogue with Mayor Gheorghe Damian highlights the concrete steps through which a rural commune has built, over time, a modern administration. The discussion starts from the beginnings of digitalization, from resistance to change and the importance of human resources, and reaches fully digital public services, online payments, electronic signatures and electronic archives. Smart education, the smart school in rural areas and the need for debureaucratization are also addressed. Finally, Ciugud is presented as a functional model of citizen-centered digital administration. The examples presented show that digitalization is not about technology, but about vision and consistency.
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How to ensure all citizens benefit from digital government: digital inclusion and empowerment in the UK
speaker
Helen Milner OBE
Founder and CEO of Good Things Foundation, Non-Executive Director of the Board of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology - UK Government
moderator
Smaranda Heroiu
Executive Director, Upgrade100
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Digital government only succeeds when digital inclusion is designed into every service — not treated as a side project. Helen Milner OBE explains why closing the digital divide requires a four-layer foundation: strong infrastructure, affordability, digital skills and confidence, plus safety and trust. Drawing on the UK’s Gov.uk journey and Good Things Foundation’s work with thousands of community partners, she argues for “baked in, not bolted on” inclusion: hyper-local support, sustainable access to connectivity and devices, and an embedded model where people get help exactly where they use services — from maternity care to tax support. The result is not just fairness, but measurable economic impact.
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Panel: Towards citizen-centered digital public services: examples from Romania and the Republic of Moldova
speaker
Nicoleta Colomeeț
Director of the Electronic Government Agency, Republic of Moldova
speaker
Răzvan Jiga
Tech & IT Director, Ministry of Internal Affairs
speaker
Gheorghe Damian
Mayor of Ciugud, Alba County
moderator
Radu Puchiu
e-Government Expert
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How to build a digital public service that actually works for citizens? In this panel, representatives from public administration in Romania and the Republic of Moldova talk openly about real experiences of digitalization: from online criminal records and tax payments, to interoperability, experience design and digital infrastructure. The discussion goes beyond strategies and plans, addressing what was difficult, what failed and what really worked. An honest dialogue about trust, leadership and digital transformation focused on people, not bureaucracy.
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Edge Institute & AtlasIntel study presentation
speaker
Barbu Mateescu
Sociologist
speaker
Mihnea Măruță
Journalist and Author
moderator
Robert Berza
Executive Director Edge Institute
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Romanians support digitalization, but are deeply dissatisfied with the pace at which the state is implementing it. Based on a study conducted by AtlasIntel, this discussion analyzes citizens' perceptions of digitalization, trust in institutions, corruption, and the need for change. The interventions highlight the tension between public will and administrative blockages, but also the risk of growing collective anger in a society without a common future project. Digitalization appears not only as a technical solution, but as a tool for transparency, predictability, and reconstruction of the relationship between the state and the citizen.
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Stay tuned!
Recordings of key moments will be published soon.
Organizat de:
Locație:
Palatul Cotroceni
Bd. Geniului 1-3, București
Data:
November 25, 2025
08:30 – 19:00
About the event
Every era has its own form of progress. Once upon a time, progress smelled of hot metal and freshly stamped paper. Today, it is measured in bits, in trust and in the invisible speed of information. Behind every application and every digital public service is a story about transformation and how technology can build trust between the state and the citizen.
Under the High Patronage of the President of Romania, the Digital Governance Summit 2025, organized by Edge Institute, brings together the past and the future: dusty archives and the digital foundations of the emerging world.
- Between bureaucracy and simplification.
- Between formulas and platforms.
- Between modest beginnings and the ambition of a digital, open and human administration.
Digital governance is not just about technology. It means clear rules, transparent processes and a culture of accountability. It is how we choose to lead with an open mind, innovate wisely, and build a state that thinks in real time.
By bringing together political leaders, innovators, those who have put bold visions into practice in their own countries, and key representatives of civil society, we aim to understand how Romania can thrive in a global context where digital transformation is no longer a “luxury” but a necessity.
From Estonia’s digital governance model, to digital services in the United Kingdom, Poland’s experience in building political consensus, and Romania’s path to interoperability, from fiscal innovation to citizen-centered governance, the Summit charts not just a digital agenda, but a human one, where memory and modernity coexist, and data becomes a new language of democracy.
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https://edgeinstitute.ro/summit
Speakers
Founder and CEO of Good Things Foundation, Non-Executive Director of the Board of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology - UK Government
Moderators
Agenda
Tap/Click on the section for more details
08:30 - 09:30 Arrival of guests
09:30 - 09:45 - Introductory remarks, Opening of the event
Speaker
Robert Berza
Executive Director, Edge Institute
09:50 - 10:00 - President's Speech
Speaker
Nicușor-Daniel Dan
President of Romania
Moderator
TBD
TBD
10:00 - 10:30 - Fireside chat (RO): "Digital transformation as a vector of national unity: Bringing the diaspora closer and combating disinformation"
Speaker
Nicușor-Daniel Dan
President of Romania
Moderator
Radu Puchiu
e-Government Expert
10:30 - 11:15 - Keynote (EN): "From vision to implementation: Lessons from Estonia's digital state"
Speaker
Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Former President of the Republic of Estonia
Moderator
Smaranda Heroiu
Executive Director, Upgrade100
11:15 - 11:30 - Break (coffee & networking)
11:30 - 12:00 - Fireside chat (RO): "The future of digital governance in Romania: a vision for the citizen"
Speakers
Oana Gheorghiu
Deputy Prime Minister, Government of Romania
Mihai Jurca
Head of the Prime Minister's Chancellery
Moderator
Dragoș Stanca
Founder of Upgrade100, Board Member of Edge Institute
12:00 - 12:40 - Keynote (EN): "From public policy to final product: Political will and digital implementation"
Speaker
Janusz Cieszyński
Former Minister of Digitalization in the Republic of Poland
Moderator
Diana Stafie
Founder of FutureStation, Board Edge Institute Member
12:40 - 13:10 - Panel (RO): "Actors of digital transformation - Multi-sectoral perspectives on a national digital consensus"
Speakers
Elena Calistru
Co-Founder and President of Funky Citizens
Răzvan Rughiniș
Co-founder of Innovation Labs and Board Member of Edge Institute
Moderator
Bianca Oanea
Media expert, Center for Independent Journalism
13:10 - 14:00 - Lunch & Networking
14:30 - 15:30 - Panel (RO): "Development, innovation and institutional trust: Building a digital economy for Romania"
Speakers
Radu Miruță
Minister of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism
Dragoș Pîslaru
Minister of Investments and European Projects
Alexandru Nazare
Minister of Finance
Iulian Stanciu
President of eMAG
Elisabeta Moraru
Country Director Google
Moderator
Dragoș Stanca
Founder of Upgrade100, Board Member of Edge Institute
15:30 - 16:00 - Edge Institute & AtlasIntel study presentation
Speakers
Barbu Mateescu
Sociologist
Mihnea Măruță
Journalist and Author
Moderator
Robert Berza
Executive Director, Edge Institute
16:00 - 16:15 - "Digitalizing a rural community: what's the secret?"
Speaker
Gheorghe Damian
Mayor of Ciugud, Alba County
16:15 - 16:30 - Break (coffee & networking)
16:30 - 17:10 - Keynote (EN): "How to ensure all citizens benefit from digital government: digital inclusion and empowerment in the UK"
Speaker
Helen Milner OBE
Founder and CEO of Good Things Foundation, Non-Executive Director of the Board of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology - UK Government
Moderator
Smaranda Heroiu
Executive Director, Upgrade100
17:10 - 17:45 - Panel (RO): "Towards citizen-centered digital public services: Examples from Romania and the Republic of Moldova"
Speakers
Nicoleta Colomeeț
Director of the Electronic Government Agency, Republic of Moldova
Răzvan Jiga
Tech & IT Director, Ministry of Internal Affairs
Gheorghe Damian
Mayor of Ciugud, Alba County
Moderator
Radu Puchiu
e-Government Expert
17:45 - 18:00 - Closing remarks: Summary of the summit
Speakers
Robert Berza
Executive Director, Edge Institute
Dragoș Stanca
Founder of Upgrade100 and Board Member of Edge Institute
Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Former President of the Republic of Estonia