Public Administration Capabilities for Digital and Sustainable Transition

Project Information

PADST

Grant agreement ID: 101079227

DOI

10.3030/101079227

Project closed

EC signature date 29 August 2022

Start date 1 October 2022

End date 30 September 2025

Funded under

• Widening participation and spreading excellence

Total cost

€ 1 242 138,00

EU contribution

€ 1 242 138,00

Coordinated by

TALLINNA TEHNIKAÜLIKOOL
Estonia

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PADST (Public Administration Capabilities for Digital and Sustainable Transition)

Reporting period: 2022-10-01 to 2025-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Across Europe, public administrations are facing a dual challenge: adapting to the digital age while driving forward the green transition. Meeting these challenges requires new visions for how public institutions operate, stronger capabilities, and greater collaboration between research, education, and policy practice.

The PADST project responds to this need by establishing a new generation of world-class research, teaching, and knowledge transfer capabilities at the crossroads of public administration, digital transformation, and sustainable transition, based at TalTech in Estonia. It strengthens TalTech’s unique knowledge base through international collaboration, targeted training, and institutional development, helping to shape governance systems fit for the digital and sustainable future.

The project brings together TalTech with three leading European research universities — KU Leuven, Utrecht University, and University College London — to develop an international, cutting-edge research centre on public administration capabilities.

PADST pursued five key objectives:
First, it expanded the knowledge base on governance of digital and sustainable transitions through joint research, training early-career researchers, and institutional knowledge exchange.
Second, it developed new graduate and executive-level training programmes for students and public sector professionals, advancing educational offerings at TalTech and across the consortium.
Thirdly, it engaged national and international policymakers by co-creating future scenarios, designing policy interventions, and participating in international policy networks.
Fourthly, it strengthened institutional capacity at TalTech through staff upskilling, exchange between support staff, and joint development of new project proposals.
Fifthly, it enhanced capabilities in research dissemination, exploitation, and communication, ensuring that project results are accessible and impactful.

By integrating insights from the social sciences and humanities with digital and environmental expertise, PADST has delivered theoretical and practical tools to help public administrations in Estonia and beyond navigate the twin transitions. The project contributes to building more innovative, future-ready, and resilient governance systems across Europe.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Key achievements were structured around five objectives.

First, significant progress was made in upgrading TalTech’s academic offering. Five new graduate courses were redeveloped and piloted, and a modular executive education concept was finalised. These were complemented by the delivery of joint syllabi and a curriculum development strategy.

Second, research capacity was enhanced through staff exchanges, co-supervision of PhD and post-doc researchers, and the organisation of three international Summer Schools and multiple research seminars.

Thirdly, a small-scale joint research project was launched, addressing the governance of digital and sustainable transitions. This led to the finalisation of conceptual and comparative research papers and policy briefs tailored to Estonian and EU contexts.

Fourthly, institutional research management skills were strengthened through the development of three joint research proposals, the delivery of training, and targeted support staff exchanges.

Fifthly, PADST contributed to TalTech’s long-term research sustainability by developing the "Future governance" research strategy and organising a final academic conference.

These activities collectively improved TalTech’s standing as a regional hub for policy-relevant research and education in public administration, fostering enduring collaboration with leading European universities.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The PADST project advances understanding of how public administrations can guide the “twin transition” – the combined green and digital transformation. Comparative research in cities shows that while some cities lead in digital and sustainability policies, they often treat these transitions separately. Digital strategies focus mainly on efficiency and innovation, while green policies are driven by political and societal goals. The idea of a true twin transition is still mostly rhetorical, underlining the need for new skills and governance capabilities that can integrate both dimensions.

PADST goes beyond existing research by identifying which capacities administrations need: from transition governance and long-term strategy, to innovation experiments and tools like climate budgeting and data commons. The project also set out a research-based “Future Governance” agenda for Europe and built a strong network of early-career and senior researchers. These results provide practical insights for policymakers and a roadmap for future collaboration and innovation in public administration.