CEMR partners with 28Digital to provide AI training for local and regional governments
Local and regional leaders gathered in Cagliari to discuss the growing political impact of artificial intelligence (AI) at the roundtable “Opportunities and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence for Local and Regional Governments”, hosted at Palazzo Regio.
Organised by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) together with AICCRE, PLATFORMA and 28DIGITAL, the event focused on how AI is reshaping public services, democratic participation and multilevel governance.
Speakers stressed that while AI offers significant opportunities for innovation, it also raises key political issues such as transparency, accountability, and fairness.
During the gathering, participants also learnt about concrete initiatives supporting local leaders in the digital transition, including the project “Empowering Local Leaders through AI”, as well as 28DIGITAL’s work on education, skills and capacity-building for public administrations, presented by experts from Gofore, 28DIGITAL and Politecnico di Milano.
The roundtable that followed was moderated by Fabrizio Rossi, Secretary General of CEMR, and included contributions from Piero Comandini, President of the Regional Council of Sardinia; Massimo Zedda, Mayor of the Metropolitan City of Cagliari; and Federico Menna, CEO of 28DIGITAL.
A central outcome of the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between CEMR and 28DIGITAL, launching a new training programme on AI for local elected representatives. The initiative aims to strengthen political competence and informed decision-making on AI at a territorial level.
Commenting on the agreement, Jork Cardeneo, CEMR spokesperson on digitalisation, underlined the importance of political leadership:
“If local leaders are expected to govern AI responsibly, they must first understand it. This memorandum marks a decisive step towards empowering elected representatives to lead the digital transition, rather than merely react to it.”
The Cagliari meeting confirmed the role of cities and regions as key political actors in ensuring that AI supports more democratic, inclusive, and innovative governance.
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Officer – Employment, Digitalisation and Public Services
