60th ICA Conference Programme

Registration | Hotel

Board & PC Meeting | Hotel

Annual General Assembly & Elections | Hotel

Buses to depart for Networking Event | Hotel

Networking Event

Buses to depart for hotel

Opening & Welcome Remarks

Social Challenges in the Digital Age: The Role of IT, Digital, and AI

Across the globe, governments are facing a convergence of social challenges that are intensifying in scale and complexity. Advances in IT, digital platforms, and AI are not only contributing to these challenges—but also offer powerful tools to address them. Below is a focused overview of key issues, why they are becoming more acute, and how leading countries are responding.

In each challenge, we can explore one dilemma and one success story. The dilemma is something that the country representative brings from his work table, in order to consult and receive advice, while the success story is brought in order to demonstrate a project that has reached social impact.

Session Chair

Mr. Nir Yanovsky, Head of Innovation Data and AI Unit, National Digital Agency | Israel

Mr. Tiago Mendonça, Senior Policy Officer of the State Technological Reform Agency (ARTE) | Portugal

Coffee Break

Social Challenges in the Digital Age: The Role of IT, Digital, and AI (cont.)

Lunch

Country Reports | AI Practice in Government: Sharing Lessons on What Works, What Fails, and Why

This year’s country reports will share practical experiences using artificial intelligence to address specific public-sector challenges.

Find out more

Session Chair

Mr. Peter Bruce, Senior Associate, Leadership and Learning Institute on Governance | Canada

Coffee Break

Country Reports (cont.)

Round-Up and Closing of the Day

Buses to depart from hotel

Buses to depart for hotel

Buses to depart from Hotel

Site Visit & Workshop addressing: Digital sovereignty and sustainable infrastructure

Lunch

Digital Sovereignty & Sustainable Infrastructure

At its core, digital sovereignty is the ability of governments, organizations, and individuals to shape and control their digital future, encompassing the data, hardware, software, and cloud-based technologies they rely on and develop, in accordance with legal and strategic priorities. Today, it stands as a pivotal milestone for governments, anchoring national security and economic strategy while reinforcing resilience and autonomy. This broad concept includes elements such as data residency, privacy, protection, operational control, resilience, survivability, independence, and transparency, often distilled into three key pillars: control, continuity, and compliance.

Within this context, governments must also address emerging challenges such as “sovereignty washing,” the realities of achieving true self-sufficiency, and the increasing impact of artificial intelligence, all of which add complexity to the pursuit of genuine digital sovereignty.

This session will explore the key dimensions of digital sovereignty implementation, sharing insights on current challenges, practical approaches, and emerging opportunities.

Mr. Vasilis Koulolias, Advisor to the President (ICT), Office of the President | Botswana

Mr. Paul N. Wagner, Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Digital Service (CDS) | Government of Canada

Coffee Break

Digital Sovereignty & Sustainable Infrastructure (cont.) - Report Back / Q&A

Ms. Lynette Kwok, Deputy Director, GovTech | Singapore

Mr. Andrew Wang, Analyst, National Development Council | Taiwan

Round-Up and Closing of the Day

Free Evening

Buses to depart from hotel

Opening & Welcome Remarks

Digital Ecosystems: (digital identity, RTE, public sector innovation)

Governments around the world have invested heavily in digital public infrastructure such as digital identity, data exchange, and trusted data platforms to enable more seamless, citizen-centric services. This session brings together leaders from Portugal, Estonia, Singapore, and the World Bank to share how these foundational capabilities have been developed, what outcomes they have delivered, and the lessons learned in building vibrant digital ecosystems that support innovation, trust, and effective public service delivery.

As technologies such as AI reshape the digital landscape, the discussion will explore how government ecosystems must evolve to remain secure, interoperable, and future-ready. Panellists will examine emerging priorities—from data governance and cybersecurity to cross-border interoperability and digital credentials—and discuss where governments should focus next to unlock greater value for citizens, businesses, and society.

Session Chair

Mr. Dominic Chan, Chief Information Officer, GovTech | Singapore

Coffee Break

Digital Ecosystems (cont.)

Lunch

Human Capital & Organizational Transformation

How can governments build the skills, leadership, and culture needed to thrive in a rapidly changing digital world? Moderated by the Ministry of Finance of Finland, with participation from the Ministry of Education and Culture, this panel brings together ICT leaders from multiple countries, to share practical experiences and emerging approaches.

Combining perspectives on workforce development and organizational change, the discussion explores how public sector organizations can strengthen human capital while adapting structures, roles, and ways of working. A dedicated track highlights AI literacy and capability building as a key enabler of transformation. We will explore how public sector organizations can evolve into adaptive, human-centric, and capability-driven institutions.

Key themes include:

• Developing future-ready skills and roles in the public sector
• Embedding AI literacy as a core capability across organizations
• Leadership, culture, and continuous learning in times of change
• Building trust, ethics, and resilience into digital transformation

Session Chair

Mr. Vesa Lipponen, Chief Information Officer, Ministry of Finance | Finland

Coffee Break

Human Capital & Organizational Transformation- Report Back / Q&A

Promoting Relevant, Sustainable and Tangible (R,S,T) joint ICA projects

Ms. Lynette Kwok, Deputy Director, GovTech | Singapore

Mr. Andrew Wang, Analyst, National Development Council | Taiwan

Closing Remarks & Roundup of the Day

Buses to depart for Closing Event

Closing Event & Museum Visit

Buses to depart for hotel