Bússola Tech is proud to convene a high level panel discussion examining the institutional, technological, and organisational foundations that enable digital transformation projects to succeed in parliaments. Titled “Why Digital Transformation Projects Succeed in Parliaments: Building the Foundations for AI”, this session explores how legislatures can establish the capabilities, governance structures, and digital foundations required to sustain modernisation efforts and prepare their institutions for the effective adoption of artificial intelligence.

Moderated by Mr. Luís Kimaid, Executive Director of Bússola Tech, the discussion brings together senior parliamentary administrators, technology leaders, and specialists with direct responsibility for the design, implementation, and governance of digital transformation initiatives within legislative institutions.

The panel will welcome the following esteemed participants:

• Mr. João Gouveia, IT Coordinator of the Interlegis Programme at the Federal Senate of Brazil
• Mr. Bruno Thomasi, CEO at Govsys
• Ms. Mary-Ellen Nutt, IT Director at the Northern Ireland Assembly, United Kingdom
• Mr. Roberto Eberhardt, IT Director at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada
• Ms. Sandra Costa, Secretary General of the Regional Parliament of the Azores, Portugal

Panel Details:

• Date: August 3rd, 2026
• Time: 11:00am Brazil | 2:00pm Azores, Portugal | 3:00pm Northern Ireland | 10:00am Toronto, Canada
• Duration: 90 minutes
• Language: English and Portuguese

This panel will examine the conditions that allow parliamentary digital transformation initiatives to move from individual technology projects toward sustained institutional modernisation. The discussion will consider how parliaments can assess their digital maturity, establish realistic priorities, secure support from Members and staff, and demonstrate that investment in modernisation contributes directly to the long term effectiveness and resilience of the institution.

The debate will also explore how parliaments can balance projects that deliver visible results in the short term with structural initiatives that may require several years to complete. Particular attention will be given to the design of legislative information management systems that remain adaptable as technologies evolve, including the importance of interoperability, structured parliamentary data, and architectures capable of integrating different artificial intelligence tools over time.

The discussion will further address strategic choices concerning the organisation and governance of parliamentary information. Participants will consider how institutions can balance the semantic richness provided by legislative data standards with financial and computational efficiency, as well as how parliaments should evaluate open standards and proprietary solutions in light of long term considerations such as institutional control over data, interoperability, continuity, technological independence, and dependence on individual vendors.