Taavi Viilukas

Can a Small State Control Its Cloud? Lessons from Estonia’s Government Cloud Journey

Estonia’s Government Cloud was established to provide public institutions with a secure, reliable and nationally controlled environment for delivering digital services. Since its launch, both the technology landscape and the cloud market have changed considerably. Global cloud providers now offer capabilities, scale and speed of innovation that a small country cannot—and need not—replicate on its own.
This presentation explores Estonia’s Government Cloud journey: where we started, what we built and how our approach must evolve. It considers the particular challenges faced by small digital states, including limited resources, dependence on global technology providers and the need to maintain national control over critical services and data.

Bio: 
Taavi Viilukas is a technology and operations leader with expertise in cloud computing, public sector IT strategy, infrastructure transformation, and cybersecurity. He has led key initiatives in Estonia’s digital infrastructure, serving as Head of the Estonian Government Cloud and currently as the Director of National Cybersecurity at the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs, where he has for the past year led national cybersecurity policy and regulation, including the transposition and implementation of the EU NIS2 Directive and other key cybersecurity regulations. Before returning to the public sector, Taavi built a successful cloud server business from the ground up. Holding a PhD in Computer and Systems Engineering, he combines technical depth with strategic leadership to develop secure, scalable, and reliable digital systems that support Estonia’s e-governance framework.