This follow-up visit to the one previously conducted by Minister Dalmau had a more operational and technical focus
A Catalan delegation visited Estonia on 9 and 10 February to analyse and explore synergies in the digitalisation processes of public administration in the Baltic country and in Catalonia. The Delegate of the Catalan Governement to the Nordic and Baltic Countries, Montserrat Riba, was part of the delegation, which was led by the Secretary for Telecommunications and Digital Transformation, Albert Tort.
The visit, organised by the Delegation together with the Department of the Presidency, followed on from the trip made by the Minister of the Presidency, Albert Dalmau, to Tallinn last October to learn about one of the most advanced public administration digitalisation systems in Europe.
During that first visit, Dalmau agreed to forge an alliance with the Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs, Liisa-Ly Pakosta, to advance the digitalisation of public services. The agreement involved the exchange of technical knowledge between Catalonia and Estonia, which will serve as a reference for Catalonia’s strategy to reform public administration in order to improve public services, with digital transformation as a key pillar.
The new visit to Estonia aimed to build on that first contact with a more operational and technical approach, focusing on the possibilities of applying successful elements of the Estonian experience in Catalonia, while also sharing good practices from Catalonia’s own digital transformation process.
“Estonia is a benchmark in the digitalisation of public administration in an almost native way, and it offers a unique opportunity to exchange experiences and collaborate on the adoption and customisation of innovations in Catalonia, within the framework of our strategy to drive digital transformation and strengthen public services,” said Tort during the visit.
The Secretary added that “this follow-up visit has allowed us to gain a better understanding of the Estonian model and to exchange know-how in key areas such as interoperability, security in data exchange, and the creation of proactive, citizen-oriented services”.
Delegate Riba noted that “Estonia’s example will be very useful in ensuring that the digitalisation of Catalonia’s public administration provides citizens with an efficient, agile and secure service”, and welcomed the fact that the project helps to strengthen ties with the Baltic nation, one of the key countries within the Delegation’s area of responsibility.
Meetings and training sessions with key Estonian actors in digital transformation
The visit’s agenda began with a visit to the e-Briefing Center, the official centre for promoting the Estonian digital ecosystem. The Catalan delegation met with the centre’s director, Triin Joasaare, to exchange views on strategies for the digitalisation of public digital services, electronic identity and interoperability, as well as good practices in tech diplomacy.
Another key stop of the day was the headquarters of the e-Governance Academy (eGA), a public–private foundation that leads digitalisation and e-government projects around the world. There, the Catalan delegation took part in several training sessions focusing, among other topics, on system interoperability, cybersecurity, the legal framework for digitalisation and citizen participation.
The first day of the visit concluded with a dinner hosted by the Spanish Ambassador to Estonia, Ángel María Vázquez Díaz de Tuesta.
On the second day, part of the Catalan delegation met with experts from the Information System Authority (RIA), the state authority responsible for designing, managing and ensuring the security of the country’s information systems. The meeting made it possible to compare the Estonian National X-Road digital administration model with Catalonia’s Via Oberta, as well as to address issues related to security and emerging risks.
The other part of the group was received by the Head of Digital Construction at Tallinn City Council, Christopher Raitviir. Together they analysed automated authorisation processes, using the BIM (Building Permit Process) project as an example—a system for processing building permits that streamlines decision-making, reduces errors and improves transparency.
Tallinn is one of the partners in the European BIM4Gov project, led by Catalonia since May 2025, which aims to promote the exchange of good practices, the development of common approaches and the creation of implementation plans for urban planning, permitting and asset management.
The working visit continued at the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs, where the Catalan delegation met with the Estonian Government’s Chief Data Officer, Ott Velsberg. Discussions focuon artificial intelligence and digital sovereignty, with particular attention to the automation of administrative processes and the advanced use of analytics to improve public policies.
Before concluding the visit, the Catalan delegation held a final meeting with eGA experts to identify opportunities for cooperation and to agree on the next steps in the collaboration initiated over recent months.
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Dieser Artikel ist neu veröffentlicht von / This article is republished from: Generalitat de Catalunya, 10.02.2026
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