Digital innovation as an instrument to humanize and modernize public services was under debate at Social Conecta, an event promoted by the Instituto de Informática in coordination with the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security. The event took place at the Lisbon Congress Centre and brought together political decision-makers, institutional leaders and technology sector representatives to discuss the innovation strategy of the social ecosystem under the First People Programme.
The opening session featured the presence of the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho, the Minister of the Deputy Prime Minister and State Reform, Gonçalo Matias, and the President of the Instituto de Informática, Luís Farrajota. Throughout the day, a series of thematic panels were held, including "The Citizen at the Centre of the System," dedicated to transforming the user experience in Social Security services, and "Applied Intelligence," where the use of artificial intelligence and advanced algorithms to accelerate processes, support technical decisions and combat fraud was discussed.
One of the central moments of the event was the presentation of Estonia's digital administration model, which served as inspiration for Portugal. The Estonian system, where almost all public services are available online, was analyzed as an example of digital governance that allows for reducing procedures and facilitating citizens' relationship with the State, particularly in the areas of connectivity, digital trust and administrative simplification.
The final panel of the day focused on "Connected Data Ecosystems," discussing the secure sharing of information between public bodies to anticipate needs and automate the attribution of social rights. The roundtable featured the participation of the President of the Order of Certified Accountants, Paula Franco, the Director of Systems and Information Technologies of Public Administration, Manuel Dias, and the Presidents of the Instituto de Informática, Luís Farrajota, the Shared Services of the Ministry of Health, Luís Goes Pinheiro, and the Social Security Institute, Pedro Corte Real. Social Conecta will return in September 2027.
