Tallinn Digital Summit 2024 Highlights Western Balkan Cybersecurity Topics

For the second consecutive year, the Tallinn Digital Summit, a premier event for global leaders and policymakers in digital innovation, will feature a panel discussion dedicated to digital transformation and cybersecurity in the Western Balkans. This year’s panel will focus on digital technology and governance in the Western Balkans, with particular attention to the region’s commitment to addressing cybersecurity risks, and to leveraging these challenges to foster resilience and innovation.

Governments in the Western Balkans are striving to harness the benefits of digitalisation and emerging technologies, such as AI. This shift presents both opportunities and challenges and necessitates the adoption of new regulatory frameworks aligned with EU best practices.

“Governments and citizens in the Western Balkans have faced large-scale cyberattacks with severe consequences in recent years. As reliance on new technologies and digitalisation grows, so do the risks to critical infrastructures. This is a timely topic for the Tallinn Digital Summit, which this year is centred on digital security,” says Milan Sekuloski, project manager of the EU-funded regional “Cyber Balkans” project.

Sekuloski adds that investment in cybersecurity capacity building and global cooperation has grown positively in recent years, opening up new development opportunities for the region.

“Improved, EU-aligned legislation can foster more effective governance, strengthening cooperation across public and private sectors. The rising demand for cybersecurity professionals also presents numerous opportunities for young people in a competitive field, paving the way for innovative services and products for both startups and established companies,” Sekuloski notes.

The panel will be divided into two sessions, featuring key figures and top officials in the region’s cybersecurity and digital innovation sectors. Confirmed speakers include Marash Dukaj, Minister of Public Administration of Montenegro; Dejan Ristić, Minister of Information and Telecommunications of Serbia; Stefan Andonovski, Minister of Digital Transformation of North Macedonia; and Floreta Faber, Deputy General Director of the Albanian National Authority on Electronic Certification and Cyber Security.

This panel is organised as part of the EU-financed “Cyber Balkans” project, which aims to enhance the cybersecurity resilience of the Western Balkans in alignment with EU acquis and best practices, improving cybersecurity prevention, preparedness, and response across public and private stakeholders.