On October 23-24, the annual Conference of Directors General of the National Statistical Institutes, DGINS, was held in Tallinn, Estonia. The DGINS Conference addresses significant topics related to the statistical program or the methods and processes used for producing European statistics and is organized each year by a different National Statistical Institute from the member countries.

This year’s theme was “Charting New Frontiers of Official Statistics”,” emphasizing the essential role of the National Statistical Institute (NSI) in navigating rapidly evolving data landscapes. The conference highlighted the need for adaptability and resilience within the European Statistical System (ESS) to maintain data quality and security amidst ongoing crises. It underscored the necessity for statistical institutes to continuously innovate, streamline data-sharing processes, and promote effective stakeholder engagement to enhance coordination.

During the conference, the Director General of INSTAT, Ms. Elsa Dhuli along with three colleagues Urmet Lee, Director General of Statistics Estonia, Georges-Simon Ulrich, Director-General of the Federal Statistical Office of Switzerland, and Elena Manzanera Díaz, President of the National Statistics Institute of Spain gave a brief interview focusing on the key challenges faced by statistical institutes in the new data ecosystem and the extent to which they should expand their service portfolios to deliver even greater value.