Skopje, 7 June 2023 (MIA) - It is a national priority to create plans and roadmaps for digital transformation, and finance initiatives for digitalization of enterprises. It is also important for North Macedonia to focus on green digitalization and creating ecologically sustainable digital infrastructures, said participants during Wednesday’s conference "Go Green: Securing Digital Economic Sustainability."

The conference was organized by the Bureau for Regional Development within "Computing power goes green" project, financed by the EU’s “INTERREG Balkan-Mediterranean 2014-2020” which is being implemented from October 2021 and funded by the BalkanMed Programme. 

"This is the first innovative project implemented in North Macedonia. Within the framework of the project, we have mapped, analyzed, and described factors, which support and prevent the adoption of green digitalization measures, a focused assessment of the country, and a report on the identification of resources and measures. The goal of the conference is to establish a digitally ecological sustainability on an international, national, and local level, because we can all contribute to green digitalization," said Bureau for Regional Development director Ramiz Rexhepi.

Minister of Local Self-Government Risto Penov stated that digital transformation is a global trend that has to be followed. 

"The public sector challenges are great. I am pleased by the fact that there is an awareness of the need for a more dynamic transformation of the process management method, which is why we need new tools and knowledge, and the Bureau achieves that with EU's support. I expect though such projects to continue the trend of adaption and faster transformation of both the public and business sectors, and our full adaption to EU goals and UN's global development goals," Penov said.

During the conference, two panel discussions were held on the topics of "Computing Power Goes Green-Go Green" and "Challenges of the Application of Green Digitalization in the Private and Social Sectors."

The conference highlighted that digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence, 5G, IoT, cloud and edge computing, have the capacity to accelerate and maximize the effects of environmental policies. The new approach implemented with this project refers to monitoring, assessing, and promoting TWIN investments. Digital transformation is not promoted in isolation, but seen under the lens of green development.

According to project manager Daniela Cvetanoska, the project's main goal is to promote the adoption of integrated approach and framework for creating combined green and digital transformation initiatives at a national and international level; which she believes will lead to a 'greener' functioning of digital infrastructures that use data centers.

"Within the framework of the project current trends and conditions in relation to digital transformation were being mapped, factors that support and prevent the adoption of measures for green digitalization in North Macedonia are being analyzed and described. The project contributed to expert findings on all topics, which will be available to all citizens though the Barometer which is currently being prepared," Cvetanoska added.

The project's partners are Greece, Albania, Cyprus, and Bulgaria, and is financed by the Interreg BalkanMed Programme 2014 – 2020. ssh/sk/

Photo: Bureau for Regional Development