Bitkom members – representatives of the largest information and communication technology industry association in Europe – visited Riga

To further promote Latvian-German cooperation in the digitalization of public administration, cybersecurity, and the development of smart cities, 30 Bitkom members – representatives of Europe's largest information and communication technology industry association – visited Riga on November 28–29. The visit focused on opportunities for business cooperation in the field of digitalization and AI.

This visit is a continuation of closer cooperation, which was facilitated by the visit to Germany led by President Edgars Rinkēvičs and Minister of Economy Viktors Valaņš in October, as well as Latvia's participation in the Smart Country Convention exhibition, where Latvia was a partner country.

In Riga, the delegation got acquainted with digital transformation projects and the startup ecosystem Startup House / TechHub Riga. The guests visited Tet.lv , Latvijas Mobilais Telefons, ITS Latvia, Latvian Information Technology Cluster and Digital Innovation Center, where success stories of Latvian public sector digitalization were highlighted. During the visit, the delegation also visited AI Studio , where projects and success stories of Latvian public sector digital transformation were presented. Innovative solutions, the use of artificial intelligence in multilingual management, as well as modern authentication approaches to e-services that improve management efficiency and security were emphasized.

The visit to the Latvian IT Cluster / EDIC began with an introduction to AI Studio, followed by a presentation on the prospects of digital transformation in Latvia and Germany, given by Gatis Ozols, Deputy State Secretary for Digital Transformation at the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development. Aiga Irmeja, Chair of the Board of the Latvian IT Cluster / European Digital Innovation Centre, shared success stories about Latvia's digitalization successes in public administration.

Next, artificial intelligence solutions that promote the development of multilingual e-services were discussed, as well as the Latvian e-document ecosystem was presented, which helps simplify and speed up administrative processes. IT companies shared their experience on new solutions that promote effective information exchange and authentication in the digital environment, providing insight into the latest technological solutions that promote the digitalization of the public sector.

Latvia proudly demonstrated its experience, as 84% of internet users already use e-government services, and 91% of public services are available online. This cooperation undoubtedly opens up new opportunities for further innovation interaction between Latvia and Germany!

The visit was organized by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia