This round table discussion explores how federal systems can foster innovation in public policy by enabling experimentation, decentralization, and intergovernmental learning. It examines the ways in which shared governance across national, regional, and local levels creates opportunities for tailored policy responses while balancing coordination and equity.

Participants will discuss comparative experiences, successful policy innovations emerging from federal arrangements, and the challenges posed by fragmentation, capacity gaps, and political dynamics. The discussion aims to generate insights into how federalism can be leveraged as a dynamic framework for responsive and adaptive policy making in an increasingly complex governance environment.

Moderator

• Prof. Jens Woelk is Full Professor of Comparative Constitutional Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Trento (Italy) and at the multidisciplinary School of International Studies.

Speakers

• Dr. Tereza Cahlikova is Researcher and Project manager. Her areas of expertise involve electronic government, digital transformation, public innovation, public leadership, open data and public policy evaluation.

 

• Prof. Marcelo Jenny is Professor of political communication and electoral research at the Department of Political Science, University of Innsbruck, with special interests in political parties, candidate selection as well as parliamentary politics.

 

• Dr. Maja Sahadžić is Assistant Professor of Constitutional Law at the School of Law and Researcher at Montaigne Center for Rule of Law and Administration of Justice (Utrecht University), Visiting Assistant Professor (University of Antwerp), Senior Research Fellow (Law Institute in BiH).