Skopje, 17 October 2025 (MIA) - Minister of Digital Transformation Stefan Andonovski presented Friday the National ICT Development Strategy "SMART/MK2030", saying it is "a roadmap of the country's digital future."

SMART/MK2030 is a national document aligned with EU's Digital Decade and the Development Agenda.

"This document is a roadmap of the country's digital agenda, aligned with the European values and standards in the Digital Decade 2030, but also the Macedonian vision and our domestic needs," said Minister Andonovski.

The strategy is based on four pillars - ICT infrastructure, digital competencies (section that projects at least 70 percent of the population having digital skills by 2030), e-governance and public services, and artificial intelligence.

As a candidate-country, Macedonia accepts the framework of Euirope's Digital Agenda that has four goals by 2030 - digitally skilled citizens and ICT specialists, secure and sustainable digital infrastructures, digital transformation of businesses, and digitalisation of public services.

"Our strategy directly follows these European priorities, strengthening the institutional convergence with member-states, creating opportunities for participation in European digital programmes, and enabling access to EU financial instruments and technical assistance. We are becoming an active part of the European digital community, a partner that contributes through knowledge, solutions and innovations," said Andonovski.

He added that the strategy is accompanied by an action plan, which turns the vision into specific steps, with the focus on swift implementation, clear indicators and continued evaluation.

"The modern digital state begins with stable infrastructure. Our goal is for every household and institution to have access to 5G at affordable prices, thus closing the digital gap between urban and rural areas and creating conditions for equal access to digital services and know-how. We will stimulate investments in optic networks, data centers and cloud platforms in partnership with private investments, which would represent the foundation for greater interoperability, security and digital trust," said Andonovski.

He added that the strategy was developed through a year-long inclusive process that saw a dozen of public discussions and online consultations, involved over 300 experts, institutions, chambers, NGOs, universities and representatives of the ICT industry.

Photo: MIA, Government