BIRN’s Report on Open Data and Digitalization in the Western Balkans Presented in Skopje
Announcements
Date 18 October 2024
On October 18, 2024, Skopje hosted a discussion on BIRN’s report, Open Data and Digitalization in the Western Balkans: The State of Play, supported by the Open Society Foundations Western Balkans (OSF WB). The event brought together 15 representatives from state institutions, academia, non-governmental organizations, and media to analyze the findings and foster dialogue on digitalization and open data in the region.
The report maps over 3,000 open data sets and thousands of e-services, identifying key challenges such as data leaks, privacy breaches, and inconsistent policy implementation. More than 50 interviews informed the research, shedding light on stakeholder capacities and engagement.
Moderated by national researcher German Filkov, the event featured a panel discussion with Gordana Dimitrovska Gapic (Open Government Partnership), Marijana Janceska (Metamorphosis Foundation), and academic Konstantin Bitrakov. Key points included the importance of institutional collaboration, mentorship for opening data sets, and aligning digitalization efforts with legal frameworks.
The event concluded with a call for full digitalization of services, the opening of more data sets, and the development of robust systems to ensure sustainability and accessibility for citizens in North Macedonia.
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