The European Union is investing in Latvia's future by improving the security and accessibility of the country's information systems

The Ministry of the Interior's Information Center has commenced the implementation of a strategic project funded by the European Union's Recovery Fund, titled “Development of Cloud Computing Services for the Ministry of the Interior's Information Center within the framework of the National Federated Cloud” (hereinafter referred to as the “Project”).

The project aims to expand the Ministry of the Interior's IT infrastructure data processing capacity and develop related infrastructure-level services within the national data processing cloud.

Why is this important?

• Modernizing the Ministry of the Interior's IT infrastructure and integrating it into a nationwide platform will positively impact the resilience of the information systems hosted on it and enable the use of modern and efficient IT infrastructure management solutions.

• By centralizing and sharing resources, energy consumption will be reduced, technical resources will be standardized, enabling scalability of the IT infrastructure and, consequently, efficient use of human resources in its maintenance.

• The creation of a national data processing cloud will strengthen national security and provide more efficient services while reducing environmental impact.

What will be done?

• Acquisition of information and communication technology equipment and components necessary for the creation and expansion of the national data processing cloud infrastructure.

• Improvement and expansion of the IT infrastructure to enhance accessibility and performance, ensuring interoperability of the data processing infrastructure within the national data processing cloud.

• Improvement of public administration digitalization by optimizing and consolidating data storage infrastructure and computing resources in a unified national federated cloud.

The European Union is interested in ensuring that each member state is modernly digitalized. The Ministry of the Interior's Information Center project is part of a broader initiative – the development of a data processing cloud in Latvia, which aims to provide unified computing infrastructure services for state institutions.

Āris Dzērvāns, Head of the Ministry of the Interior's Information Center: “This project is a significant step on our country's path towards digital transformation. With the support of the European Union, we can improve the efficiency of the state's ICT infrastructure and provide modern services to our citizens. We are committed to promoting sustainable development and reducing environmental impact while strengthening national security and improving service quality.”

Zane Petre, Head of the European Commission Representation in Latvia: “Digital transformation is one of the cornerstones of Latvia's Recovery Plan, and it is allocated 365 million euros. Improving the digitalization of public administration is essential to increase efficiency and accessibility and to ensure faster and more transparent public services, improved data management, and security. Investments in digital transformation are key to innovation and economic growth.”

The project “Development of Cloud Computing Services for the Ministry of the Interior's Information Center within the framework of the National Federated Cloud” is being implemented with the support of the European Union's Recovery Fund. The total cost of the project is up to 3,007,200 euros, consisting of 2,520,000 euros in funding from the European Union's Recovery Fund and up to 487,200 euros in state budget funding for value-added tax costs.

The European Union's Recovery Fund is a centrally managed budget program of the European Commission established in addition to the European Union's multiannual budget for the 2021-2027 planning period. The program aims to support reforms and investments related to the transition to a green and digital economy, as well as to mitigate the social and economic impacts of the crisis.