25-26 May 2026, Podgorica, Montenegro

ReSPA convened senior public administration representatives, policymakers, digital transformation practitioners, and international experts from the Western Balkans and Eastern Neighbourhood in Podgorica for the regional event “From Innovation to Implementation – Regulatory Innovation and Sandboxes”.

Organised in close cooperation with the SIGMA Programme and leading regional and international partners, the event represents another important step in ReSPA’s continued efforts to support governments in accelerating digital transformation and modernising public administration systems across the region.

Ms Liselotte Isaksson, Deputy Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Montenegro, highlighted the importance of the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, secure digital infrastructure, digital skills, trusted governance, and responsible AI adoption in enlargement countries.

The two-day programme focuses on translating digital innovation into practical implementation, with special emphasis on artificial intelligence, regulatory innovation, AI regulatory sandboxes, digital public services, interoperability, open data, and institutional readiness for reform. Through practical workshops, peer exchange, and policy discussions, participants will explore how governments can move beyond experimentation toward sustainable and scalable digital public services.

Opening the event, Bojana Bajić underlined: “The future of public administration depends not only on adopting innovation and emerging technologies, but on ensuring that these technologies are implemented responsibly, securely, and in a human-centred manner. Governments must translate AI and digital innovation into practical, trusted, interoperable, and citizen-oriented public services that improve efficiency, transparency, inclusion, and quality of life, while safeguarding human rights, accountability, and public trust.”

A key contribution to the event comes from Bruno Monteiro, who will present enablers for accelerating government reforms and share SIGMA perspectives on digital transformation, innovation governance, and public administration modernisation.

Bojana Bajić presented ReSPA’s instruments of support, including the eGOV Pilot methodology, one of ReSPA’s flagship tools designed to help institutions transform public services through user-centric approaches, prototyping, and implementation-focused digital reform.

Special attention during the event will be dedicated to responsible and ethical artificial intelligence in the public sector. International expert Idoia Salazar will lead dedicated workshops on ethical AI principles, the implications of the EU AI Act, and the practical establishment of AI regulatory sandboxes as safe environments for testing innovative solutions within legal and ethical frameworks.

The programme also highlights the growing importance of digital skills development and institutional capacity-building. Goran Pastrović, ReSPA Expert, contributes insights on emerging technologies, AI adoption, and innovative learning initiatives such as AI4GOV-X and MAGIX, which aim to strengthen the competencies needed for sustainable digital transformation in public administration.

In addition, Milica Janković will join discussions on redesigning public services to be more efficient, seamless, and user-centric through interoperable systems, digital identity solutions, and data-driven governance.

The event further demonstrates ReSPA’s strategic collaboration with SIGMA and other important international partners in bringing the latest European and global trends in digitalisation, AI governance, and innovation management closer to public administrations in the Western Balkans. By combining policy dialogue with practical implementation tools, the initiative aims to ensure that regional administrations are not only informed about emerging technologies but also equipped to responsibly apply them to deliver better services to citizens.

Through this event, ReSPA continues reinforcing its role as a regional hub for innovation, knowledge exchange, and implementation-oriented public administration reform, helping institutions transition from isolated innovation efforts toward tangible, scalable, and sustainable digital transformation.