06 December 2019
Incheba Expo, Bratislava, Slovakia

IIASA at OSCE Ministerial Council

IIASA organized a side event at the 26th OSCE Ministerial Council to discuss economic cooperation in Eurasia in the times of digital transformations.

© Kamil Jany | Dreamstime.com

© Kamil Jany | Dreamstime.com

As part of its science-diplomacy mandate and building on its continued engagement with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), IIASA organized a side event on "Futures of international economic cooperation in Eurasia in the times of digital transformations" at the 26th OSCE Ministerial Council. The aim of the event was to facilitate dialogue on how to promote economic progress and security in the European and Eurasian Space through new technologies and connectivity in the digital era.

Digitalization is becoming a key trend in all industries. It creates both great economic and social opportunities, as well as serious challenges. Mutually beneficial digital cooperation would contribute to good-neighborly relations, confidence, stability and security, and it is therefore also an important focus of the work of the OSCE and its Economic and Environmental Dimension.

The panel discussion was moderated by Ambassador Vuk Žugić, Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities. Among speakers were Dr. Elena Rovenskaya, Program Director of Advanced Systems Analysis Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis; Dr. Dirk Pilat, Deputy Director of the Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Mr. Tonnie De Koster, Advisor for Digital Single Market International Outreach at DG Connect, European Commission; and Dr. Hanna C. Norberg, Co-founder of DigitalTradePolicy.org, Founder and CEO of Trade Economista, Initiator of TradeExperettes.org. Ms. Goar Barseghyan, Deputy Director of the Integration Development Department, Eurasian Economic Commission, addressed the audience with a presentation on activities of the Eurasian Economic Union regarding digitalization agenda, which became one of the main drivers of economic integration in the region.

The panel discussed following questions: 

  • What is the digital future for us? What are the risks of digital inequality for business and society? How can governments support the development of the digital economy and stimulate digital transformation processes in the interests of citizens? How can innovative digital solutions be adapted to existing infrastructure, notably in the energy sector?
  • How can fair competition be promoted in the digital economy in the wider European and Eurasian Space? How new technologies, such as 3D-printing, robotics, artificial intelligence, will change business models? What is the spillover of China’s “Digital Silk Road” for the wider European and Eurasian Space?
  • How can IIASA, through its academic work, and the OSCE, through its project work, contribute to digital connectivity, cooperation and security throughout a wider European and Eurasian Space?
  • How did different OSCE Chairmanships promote the work on connectivity-related aspects of economic progress and security in the digital era? What has been achieved during the Slovak OSCE Chairmanship 2019?

The side event was organized within the framework of the IIASA research project on Challenges and Opportunities of Economic Integration within a Wider European and Eurasian Space. It brought together policymakers, leading scientists and experts, representatives of the business community, as well as diplomatic corps at large to have a dialogue around such an important issue for the international economic policy as the impact of digitalization on trade, investment and economic cooperation.


Elena Rovenskaya, Program Director of IIASA Advanced Systems Analysis Program, delivers a presentation | ©️ IIASA

Dirk Pilat, Deputy Director of the OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation, addresses the audience via video-connection | ©️ IIASA

Group photo of side event speakers and IIASA organizing team. (L-R) Nadejda Komendantova, Research Scholar at Advanced Systems Analysis Program (ASA), IIASA; Goar Barseghyan, Deputy Director of the Integration Development Department, Eurasian Economic Commission; Hanna C. Norberg, Co-founder of DigitalTradePolicy.org, Founder and CEO of Trade Economista, Initiator of TradeExperettes.org; Elena Rovenskaya, ASA Program Director, IIASA; Vuk Žugić, Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities; Tonnie De Koster, Advisor for Digital Single Market International Outreach at DG Connect, European Commission; Sizov Sergey, Science Diplomacy Officer, ERCL Department, IIASA; and Dmitry Erokhin, Research Assistant at ASA, IIASA | ©️ IIASA











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Last edited: 12 December 2019

CONTACT DETAILS

Elena Rovenskaya

Program Director and Principal Research Scholar Advancing Systems Analysis Program

CONTACT DETAILS

Sergey Sizov

Science Diplomacy Officer Communications and External Relations Department

IIASA participates at Concluding Meeting of the 27th OSCE EEF

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International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
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