A workshop on data ecosystem development in Moldova was held today, 28 April 2022, and was hosted by the World Bank jointly with the e-Governance Agency.

The event kicked off the preparation phase of the Moldova Case Study, under the World Bank’s Global Data Ecosystem Guide, that will illustrate the current state of development of Moldova’s national data ecosystem, showcase achievements, and pinpoint areas for further enhancement.

The workshop brought together more than 70 participants, experts and specialists from various countries, invited to present their experience and best practices on data governance systems and to exchange views and ideas with the Moldovan government digitalisation team.

In his welcome speech, Iurie Turcanu, Deputy Prime Minister for Digitalisation, expressed his gratitude for the fact that our country was selected to participate in this project: “We wish to become a modern state, with a modern and digitally advanced government and we need to act quickly. In this sense, every area needs to consume data in order to be efficient”.  The official also referred to topics such as data security, data uniqueness, data consumption culture, data transparency, and legal framework for data management.

Also, at the beginning of the event, Inguna Dobraja, Country Manager of the World Bank Moldova, states that the World Bank recognises the essential role of data in supporting the development of nations and economies, being an important resource, which may be compared to oil, noting that Moldova needs at this stage the experience of the leading nations in the field of digitalisation and data governance.

In her presentation, “Data Ecosystem Development in Moldova”, the Director of the e-Governance Agency, Olga Tumuruc, said: “We have a rich realm for the development of the data ecosystem and it is important to harness this system and use it in the public interest. Data needs to be used in a stable, legal and transparent framework, and the current needs compel us to develop a resilient infrastructure at national level”.

The workshop also included the launch of the Moldova Data Ecosystem Case Study initiative and presentations on the data ecosystem in Korea, UK, etc. by the World Bank experts, as well as a panel discussion among foreign partners and experts on priorities for the development of this area in our country.