In recent years Estonia has emerged as one of the most advanced e-societies in the world. Headed by Prime Minister Jüri Ratas, Estonia will be represented with the largest delegation at the seventh edition of the World Government Summit (WGS 2019). Prime Minister Ratas, along with Estonian ministers and advisors will share their experiences on the nation’s becoming a global leader in digital transformation and smart government services.
The Northern European country with a population of less than 1.5 million has lately announced that it is attempting to make all government services electronic by 2020, as envisioned by the Digital Agenda 2020 for Estonia, launched in 2014. As part of this priority, the country aims to provide all residents with internet access above 30 Mbps by 2020 and achieve at least 60 percent household subscription rates for speeds above 100 Mbps. Currently, 88 percent of Estonian households have internet capability, while Wi-Fi connectivity is available in more than 1,100 public locations, including all Estonian schools.
Estonia also went down in history for organizing the world’s first online voting system for its general election in 2007. More than 30,000 citizens voted through the online portals, meaning one in every 30 citizens used the online service.
Tech Pioneer
Estonia has previously made an impact at WGS. In 2017, its Eesti Energia application won the best m-government service in the Environment Sector for creating a smart energy consumption app that allows all Eesti Energia customers to monitor, access and pay their electricity consumption 24/7.
As the Fourth Industrial Revolution continues to take the world by storm, Estonia finds itself in a good position to tackle the technological challenges of the future. The country’s proactive diagnosis of the challenges faced by citizens living in sparsely-populated areas of the world has seen the creation of service centers in each remote village to make government services easier to access. Estonia encouraged the public and private sectors to work together as partners and come up with innovative digital solutions and smart electronic services.
In 2015, Estonia adopted the ‘Government as a Service’ approach, launching a state-run application store, which redefined ways of interaction between governments and citizens. Furthermore, it launched the e-Estonia initiative, which has become a benchmark for digital ecosystems through offering citizens access to vital government services in health, finance and transport, among others.
The World Government Summit 2019 will run from February 10 to 12 at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. The landmark event is set to convene more than 4,000 participants from 140 countries, including heads of state and governments, as well as top-tier representatives of 30 international organizations.
