In early December 2025, a capacity building workshop took place in Podgorica under the title „Designing digital interoperability roadmaps in Montenegro“. It brought together decision makers and practitioners in the field of digitalization from various state administration bodies and private sector. Great interest of the participants confirmed that digitalization exceeded the frameworks of individual institutions and that it was a joint challenge, the solution of which requires cooperation of all relevant stakeholders.
In the one-day workshop, participants had the opportunity to learn about the best European practices in the field of interoperability presented by experts from Belgium, France and Ukraine. After practical work and exchange of experience, the workshop was concluded by a clear message that digital transformation must remain focused on human being and long-term sustainability, so that the efficient, connected, inclusive systems could be developed, ready for the future needs of the society.
The workshop was organized within the Policy Learning Platform, as a special form of support that the Cooperation programme Interreg Europe offers to beneficiaries from countries candidates for membership in the European Union. Similar activities were earlier implemented also in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova and North Macedonia. However, the workshops are not the only form of support that the Platform provides.
What is the Policy Learning Platform?
Along with projects, the Policy Learning Platform is one of the two key pillars of the Cooperation programme Interreg Europe. Its role is to help decision makers and practitioners in Europe to find solutions for challenges they face on the local and regional level, through exchange of experience, good practices and networking.
For ten years already, the Platform has been ensuring access to knowledge, expertise and networks that have been developed through Interreg Europe projects and beyond. It constitutes the space where European community of decision makers and practitioners can use the experience of their colleagues and thematic experts through publications, live and online events, and through direct communication with expert teams. All Platform services are available free of charge.
What are the advantages for the community members?
Platform users can connect with colleagues facing similar challenges, learn from their experience and get concrete advice for improving public policies and strengthening professional capacities.
The Platform offers access to knowledge through a base with more than one thousand good practices rated by experts, shorter analyses focused on specific policy challenges, as well as numerous thematic texts and collections of relevant sources. Approach to people is exercised through workshops and webinars that ensure learning, exchange of knowledge and networking with experts and practitioners who work in the field of regional development policies.
A special segment is the Expert support, available through the policy helpdesk and matchmaking services. One of the most demanded forms of support is peer review that includes the arrival of thematic experts and colleague practitioners to the spot, with a view to developing concrete recommendations and road maps for solving identified policy challenges.
In addition to using the available services, members of the Interreg Europe community have an opportunity to make an active contribution to the work of the Platform, by sharing their own experience or by proposing topics for future publications and events.
More information about the Policy Learning Platform is available in the official website of the Interreg Europe Programme and through the national contact person in Montenegro.
By: Danijela Anđić, national contact person for the Interreg Europe Cooperation Programme, Ministry of European Affairs
This text was published in the 17th issue of Eurokaz magazine.