Portugal, Italy and Spain’s Heads of State meet in Naples to discuss Public Administration and the Digital World

COTEC Europa 2019

Public Administration 4.0 was the theme of the 13th COTEC Europe Meeting

The 13th COTEC Europe Meeting took place on the morning of May 7, in Naples, Italy, dedicated to the theme of Competitiveness and Innovation in Public Administration.

The evolution of the importance and strategic nature of Public Administration, given the introduction and dissemination of new digital technologies. This was the central theme of the 13th COTEC Europe Meeting: “PA 4.0: Rethinking the Public Administration for a Digital World”, the annual meeting of national associations for Innovation and competitive development in the Mediterranean countries Italy, Spain and Portugal.

This event, which took place at the San CarloTheatre, was attended by the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, the King of Spain, Felipe VI and the President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

Renowned business leaders and institutional figures from the three countries met to outline common action plans on topics related to innovation policies and the implementation of cooperation activities, providing a great opportunity to relaunch the theme of Public Administration Innovation, at a time characterized by a great industrial and technological revolution. In this context, the modernization of administrative systems and processes is vital.

The opening of the Meeting was the responsibility of the Directors-General of the three COTEC associations – Jorge Barrero, COTEC Spain, Jorge Portugal, COTEC Portugal, and Claudio Roveda, COTEC Italy.

Based on an analysis of the state of Public Administration computerization in the three European countries and the programmes planned to promote its development, the roundtable focused on the medium-term developments of digital technologies relevant to PA, the need to rethink human resources policies and rethink regulatory processes.

This round table was followed by interventions from technological suppliers from each country, who presented the necessary skills to boost the digital transformation of the Public Administration sector. This sharing session will be have contributions from Trinidad Jimenez, Director of Public Affairs and Global Strategy, at Telefónica, Miguel Sobral, CEO of Vortal and Carlo Nardello, Chief Strategy Customer Experience & Transformation Office at Tim, who spoke about their experiences as “digital champions ”.

What are the new challenges awaiting Public Administration 4.0? was the topic of debate for the panel moderated by Riccardo Luna, Editor in Chief at Agi Agenzia Italia, which included Roberto Viola, General Director, DG Connect, European Commission, Rogelio Velasco, Economy, Companies and Universities Councillor, Regional Government of Andalucía, Maria Manuel Leitao Marques, Former Minister of Administrative Modernization of Portugal and Luca Attias, Commissioner for the Italian Digital Agenda. Each country illustrated its programmes for the development of digital transformation in its structures, operating methods and processes.

During the event, the winners of Hack.Gov were also announced, a creative marathon attended by 200 young people from all over the world, who competed in the Apple Developer Academy, on the University of Naples campus, Frederico II, to create solutions in Public Administration, through “state-of-the-art” technologies.

The final results were also presented, in the form of a MoU, from the session promoted by the three COTEC on May 6, at the University of Naples, Frederico II, dedicated to the theme Space and Digital Transformation in Public Administration, in which collaboration of the three COTEC countries in research, development and innovation in the Space sector was debated. 

The 13th COTEC Europe Meeting came to a close with speeches from the three Heads of State, introduced by the President of COTEC Italy, Luigi Nicolais.

About the COTEC Europe Meetings

Organized since 2005 alternately in Portugal, Spain and Italy, the COTEC Europe Meetings  count on the participation of businessmen, policy makers and academics. In addition to the opportunity for contact between Associates and Partners of the three COTEC organizations, the Meetings are a space for debate, whose purpose is to produce a positive contribution from the Southern countries to innovation policies, in building new responses to the challenges of competitiveness, employment and inclusive growth facing Europe, its companies and citizens.

In the last Meetings, held in Mafra and Madrid, the themes discussed were Work 4.0 and Circular Economy.

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