Connectivity Infrastructure, Transformation of Productive Sectors, Measurement, Data Protection, and Governance were the Focus Areas of the VII Summer School of Digital Transformation

In this VII edition of the Summer School on Digital Transformation co-organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society from the Brazilian Network Information Center (Cetic.br|NIC.br), and the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network (I&JPN), public policy makers, government members, regulators, legislators, academics, and representatives from non-governmental multilateral organizations were invited to exchange, share, and discuss current and emerging factors associated with digital transformation, digital economy, data-driven innovation, and its governance.

More than 80 people from 16 countries participated in the Summer School of Digital Transformation, designed as a training program aimed at sharing relevant content through webinar sessions, readings, case studies, presentations, and debates. The course, in its seventh edition, positioned itself as a relevant platform to generate synergies regarding opportunities and challenges associated with digital transformation and innovation among public policy makers, government members, NGOs, and experts related to the information and communication technology sector in a multisectoral environment.

The webinars held in Spanish, Portuguese, and English on November 16, 23, and 30 addressed the opportunities and challenges of digital transformation in the region, with more than 10 international experts. The evolution of a new digital ecosystem was considered, along with variables such as infrastructure, the transformation of productive sectors, and the transition to a data-driven economy, where relevant actors need to deepen knowledge and exchange on trends and best practices to address the development of evidence-based public policies.

Block I, on the thematic axis "Infrastructure and Connectivity," featured the participation of Lucas Gallitto (GSMA), who presented on the perspectives and enabling factors of 5G technology and its impacts on digital inclusion and innovation. Fernando Rojas (ECLAC) addressed the situation of broadband connectivity in the context of Covid-19, highlighting access gaps among vulnerable groups, low-income groups, and residents of rural and/or remote areas.

For Álvaro Calderón, Head of the Innovation and ICT Unit at ECLAC, "it is important to remember that digital technologies have mixed effects. On the one hand, they can be a tool to address issues of well-being, productivity, and sustainability, and help build a new development model. On the other hand, they can deepen pre-existing structural gaps if measures are not taken to mitigate their negative effects, for example, in areas as important as the labor market and competition in sectors increasingly dominated by native digital companies. Therefore, the role of public policies is essential to ensure that the benefits of digitalization are spread and generalized and, in this way, allow it to become the engine of inclusive economic growth." "In this context, we hope that this space for analysis and discussion serves for participants to share their experiences and perspectives regarding the topics addressed and also allows for the creation of new networks and contacts that strengthen the digitization processes in our countries," Calderón adds.

Block II on the axis "Transformation and Digital Measurement" specifically addressed 3 topics. The first dealt with the digital transformation of productive processes to accelerate economic recovery and the impact of technologies such as Big Data, IoT, Robotics, and Artificial Intelligence. Agustín Diaz-Pines (European Commission) discussed the strategy for the European digital decade and an approach to factors associated with AI regulation, while Juan Jung (Telecom Advisory Services| Universidad Pontificia Comillas ICAI-ICADE) presented mechanisms and indicators to measure the digital economy and the challenges that Latin America faces in terms of availability and homogeneity. Regulatory trends on competition in digital services markets were the focus of another session, with presentations by Ana Beatriz Souza (ANATEL) and Georgina Núñez (ECLAC). The measurement by governments, industry, and citizens of disruptive digital technologies was the third theme of the axis, where Ronald Jansen (UNSD) shared some practices and opportunities associated with innovative methods for producing statistical data.

On the session's theme, Mauricio Agudelo, Coordinator of the Digital Agenda at CAF, highlighted that the effective digital transformation of Latin America will depend on the articulation and development of a virtuous circle between the expansion and availability of quality telecommunications infrastructure, the appropriation and use that households, companies, and governments make of digital technologies, as well as an environment of appropriate public policies and regulations that stimulate and favor innovation processes. All of this, according to him, to mitigate the region's development pitfalls, such as inclusion, equity, productivity, and sustainability - areas in which the School constitutes an ideal space to reflect, deepen, and debate better public policies and better projects that channel the potential of ICT for the well-being of Latin Americans and Caribbeans.

In turn, regarding the production and use of ICT sector statistical data for the development of evidence-based public policies, Alexandre Barbosa, manager of Cetic.br|NIC.br, considers that 'permanent training is necessary for public policy makers and a broad spectrum of sector actors.' For him, the Summer School: Towards Digital Transformation and Innovation in Latin America, represents an important initiative between ECLAC, CAF, Cetic.br|NIC.br, and I&JPN, providing a relevant contribution to the countries in the region. "The School not only offers an effective space for dialogue on emerging technological aspects but also promotes the understanding of the economic and social impacts of digital transformation processes and the need for their measurement," he concludes.

Block III, dedicated to the theme "Data Governance and Personal Data Protection," had two sessions. The first, on innovative structures for data governance and artificial intelligence, featured discussions by Lorrayne Porciuncula (I&JPN) and Beatriz Botero Arcila (Sciences Po) on the main trends, opportunities, and challenges concerning their evolution. The second, on privacy, trust, and online security, included a presentation by Christian Reimsbach-Kounatze (OECD).

Regarding the theme, Carolina Rossini, Impact and Partnerships Officer at the Datasphere Initiative, incubated by I&JPN, stated: "we have been working together in recent months with the conviction that capacity development related to data management policies among public policy makers, professionals, and relevant stakeholders is essential to address the various socioeconomic challenges. And to ensure that the region moves towards innovation and development based on data governance, it is fundamental to formulate holistic frameworks that generate trust, prosperity, sustainability, and well-being for all."

Finally, the School held 10 group sessions in which participants presented and discussed topics such as legal and regulatory barriers that refugees and migrants face in accessing connectivity and financial services, conversion of community banks to fintech, the connectivity landscape during the pandemic, the digital transformation process of Peru, aesthetic normalization of gender in AI algorithms, access to quality Internet, among others.

The Summer School will resume its eighth edition in 2022, in a format to be determined. The presentations and reading materials from this edition will be available for consultation on the site: https://cetic.br/pt/evento/escola-verao-transformacao-digital/.

This content was automatically translated with the support of artificial intelligence.