The keynote fireside chat between Ilias Iakovidis, PhD, Adviser at DG-CONNECT, European Commission and  Frederic Donck, President at DigitalGoes.Green was moderated by Vesna Manojlovic, Community Builder at RIPE NCC. The vibrant 90-minute discussion addressed key issues around climate action and digitalisation, and building a sustainable digital future for the SEE region. 

Dr. Iakovidis stated that “In the SEE region, digitalisation accompanied by green gains, such as emissions or pollution reduction, can open up new opportunities. By adding the green dimension to their product and services, local companies can be more competitive and be the preferred solutions by governments, international institutions and large companies. Innovation is not only about technology. It is also about people and local knowledge. The advantage of small and medium enterprises is that they understand the local settings and culture, understand the problems in a bottom-up manner, and can tailor better their digital solutions. Moving to circular economy and product-as-a-service is also opportunity for SMEs in SEE. Those that understand the synergy and key opportunities of green and digital transitions will be better fit for the future.“

Mr. Donck’s key message was “Bridging the gap in regional digitisation needs to be done with a green mindset and through a collaborative effort of all interested stakeholders to make digital services green by design. Apart from measuring the environmental impact of ICTs, greening equipment and infrastructure, the companies also need to think about the intangible part of the internet and change the way they design the online services by, for example, incorporating sustainable interaction design with a user.“

The South Eastern European Dialogue on Internet Governance (SEEDIG) is an open, inclusive and informal space for dialogue and cooperation on Internet and digital policy issues between stakeholders from South Eastern Europe and the neighbouring area (SEE+). It is a regional Internet Governance Forum (IGF) initiative, recognised as such by the UN-led IGF. SEEDIG was launched in a bottom-up manner, in 2014, as a response to a need, as perceived by the regional Internet community, for a platform to facilitate discussions and collaboration on Internet-related issues of relevance for the region.