Here you can find the post event Report of the event GovTech Connect & GovTech4all Webinar – Policy Makers Leading the Way Best Practices to Build a Successful GovTech Ecosystem with Startups
The event took place on November 14th. The purpose of the Webinar was to engage and expand the GovTech Connect community and to present the initial activities of the GovTech4all project. It also aimed to stimulate discussions regarding the role and practices of Central Public Administrations in nurturing the GovTech ecosystem
This Webinar was split into three main sessions:
- The first session of the Webinar was dedicated to the welcome speech from the European Commission
- The second part of the Webinar was dedicated to the presentation of the GovTech4all project and its pilots
- The final session of the Webinar was dedicated to a GovTech Panel, in which a series of national GovTech experts/practitioners were invited to share national relevant examples and their real experiences.
During the Panel, four practitioners presented examples of their work supporting their national GovTech realities:
Tiago Cunha Martins, Advisor on GovTech and Innovation at the Portuguese Ministry of Justice, spoke about the importance of creating a GovTech ecosystem in Europe. In particular, he underlined the importance for policy makers to create a legal framework that empowers and inspires the collaboration between startups and Public Sector. On the other side, in order to be successful, startups must be able to deliver a solution that could be scalable cross-border, and not be applicable only to their domestic market. Another important element for a successful national GovTech ecosystem is alignment and close collaboration between the central government and the local administration bodies, that allows to translate in public services the strategies elaborated at the central level. He then focused on the GovTech Justice strategy in Portugal and gave a concrete example of a service to help users with the process of registering their land property. The service was developed in collaboration with the local governments, that allowed to adopt a user centric approach for developing the system. Tiago closed his presentation with an overview of the 1st Edition of the Justice Challenge, a competition to stimulate the development of innovative technological solutions that respond to concrete needs of the Justice sector to deliver better services to citizens and businesses.
Arūnė Matelytė, Co-founder and Manager at GovTech Lab Lithuania, talked about the work she did with her team to bring GovTech a strategic area in Lithuania. GovTech Lab helps the public sector identify challenges that can be solved by emerging technologies, engages startups and SMEs to create innovative solutions and accelerates teams in the GovTech field. The lab was established in response to the challenge of keeping up with rapid technological innovation in the public sector. It aims to bring the innovation and agility of the startup and entrepreneurial world into the public sector, moving away from traditional outsourcing of IT systems. Recognizing the limitations of their resources, GovTech Lab Lithuania focuses on scaling its impact by upskilling public sector employees and fostering a community that can independently use and apply the methodologies developed by the lab. The overarching message of her presentation emphasized the need for public sector innovation to keep pace with technological advancements and the importance of public-private collaboration in achieving this goal. The GovTech Lab Lithuania serves as a facilitator and catalyst in this process, focusing on skill enhancement, community building, and practical collaboration between government and innovative startups.
Raffaele Spallone, Head of Unit dealing with Digitalization at Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, emphasized Italy's commitment to digital and green transformations. He discussed Italy's significant investment in these areas, particularly through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which allocates a considerable portion of its 18 billion euro budget to digital transformation. Spallone presented his role in overseeing the Transition 4.0 and the new Transition 5.0 programs, which are integral to this strategy. These programs are designed to foster innovation and technological advancement, not only in high-tech sectors like AI, cybersecurity, and Industry 4.0 but also in traditional sectors such as agrifood, tourism, and cultural heritage. He also underscored the importance of public-private partnerships and technological transfer, aiming to create new ecosystems for innovation and sustainable development. Moreover, Spallone mentioned Italy's funding of 37 Digital Innovation Hubs, further showcasing the country's commitment to accelerate innovation and digitalization not only of enterprises but also of the public administration. His presentation underscored Italy's strategic approach to leveraging both national and European resources to drive forward its digital and green agenda.
At last, Irene van Hooff, Innovation Advisor at VNG Realisatie, talked about the Dutch Societal Innovation Hub and its mission of increasing the societal impact of digital innovation in provinces and municipalities in order to contribute to a sustainable and climate-neutral Europe. She emphasized the guiding principles of "rethink, reshape, and reconnect" to drive innovation, particularly in tackling societal challenges like the green transformation. Van Hoff highlighted the need for systemic change and collaboration across municipalities, provinces, and public-private ecosystem partners. She spoke about the Hub's role in supporting the Green Deal's missions, including creating climate-neutral cities and adapting to climate changes. Additionally, she underscored the importance of knowledge exchange and research to address new needs in a changing world. Van Hoff's message centered on the critical role of innovation in public sector governance, stressing the necessity for new approaches and collaborations to meet the challenges of digital transformation.
For more details, read the report and watch the video recording below!