Register Now | What Makes Digital Transformation Succeed in Parliaments?
Live webinar to be hosted by Bússola Tech on August 3rd, 2026
Bússola Tech will host an international panel discussion bringing together senior parliamentary officials from Brazil, Canada, Portugal, and the United Kingdom to examine one of the defining challenges facing modern legislatures: why some digital transformation initiatives produce lasting institutional change while others fail to achieve their objectives. Titled “Why Digital Transformation Projects Succeed in Parliaments: Building the Foundations for AI,” the session will explore the governance, organisational, financial, and technological foundations that enable parliaments to modernise effectively while preparing for the responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence.
Moderated by Mr. Luís Kimaid, Executive-Director of Bússola Tech, the discussion will focus on the strategic decisions that determine the success of transformation programmes long before technology is procured or implemented. Drawing on practical experience from parliamentary administrations with different institutional structures and levels of digital maturity, the panel will examine how legislatures can define realistic modernisation strategies, assess organisational readiness, secure political and administrative support, establish effective governance frameworks, and ensure that transformation programmes remain aligned with institutional priorities despite changes in parliamentary leadership or electoral cycles.
Participants will also discuss one of the most difficult challenges facing parliamentary administrations: balancing immediate operational needs with long-term institutional transformation. The conversation will explore how legislatures can sequence investments, identify initiatives capable of delivering visible improvements in the short term, and simultaneously sustain large-scale projects that may require several years to implement. The panel will examine how parliamentary leaders can demonstrate the value of digital transformation to Members, senior management and staff while maintaining institutional commitment throughout lengthy implementation processes.
As Artificial Intelligence rapidly becomes part of the parliamentary technology landscape, the discussion will further examine how today’s architectural decisions will shape tomorrow’s capabilities. Speakers will consider how legislative information management systems should be designed to ensure interoperability, flexibility and long-term sustainability, allowing parliaments to integrate future AI tools without repeatedly rebuilding their digital infrastructure. Particular attention will be given to structured legislative data, open standards such as Akoma Ntoso, interoperability between parliamentary systems, and the importance of preserving data quality, institutional ownership and semantic integrity as essential prerequisites for meaningful AI applications.
The panel will also address the strategic choices surrounding proprietary and open technologies, the risks associated with fragmented digital ecosystems, and the institutional importance of avoiding vendor lock-in while maintaining full control over parliamentary information assets. Rather than presenting technology as an end in itself, the discussion will examine how digital transformation can strengthen legislative effectiveness, improve institutional resilience, and create sustainable foundations capable of supporting future innovation.
The discussion will feature the following distinguished participants:
Mr. João Gouveia – IT Coordinator of the Interlegis Programme at the Federal Senate of Brazil
Mr. Bruno Thomasi – Chief Executive Officer of Govsys
Ms. Sandra Costa – Secretary-General of the Parlamento Regional dos Açores | Portugal
Ms. Mary-Ellen Nutt – IT Director at the Northern Ireland Assembly | United Kingdom
Mr. Roberto Eberhardt – IT Director at the Ontario Legislative Assembly | Canada
This panel will provide participants with practical insights and comparative experiences for building the institutional foundations that enable successful modernisation. Whether a parliament is beginning its digital transformation journey or preparing its legislative information systems for Artificial Intelligence, the discussion will offer valuable perspectives on how to develop resilient, future-ready institutions capable of adapting to technological change while preserving parliamentary autonomy, continuity, and democratic integrity.