On October 9, 2024, the Govtech Meeting was held at the BAT Tower in Bilbao, focusing on how technology can improve public services and how startups can collaborate with public administrations to develop innovative solutions. Organized by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Gobe, the event brought together representatives from public administrations, startups, and large tech corporations to discuss the future of the Govtech ecosystem.
What is Govtech?
Govtech is the intersection between technology and public administration, where startups and governments collaborate to optimize service delivery to citizens. This ecosystem involves emerging and established companies that apply technologies such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and data management to address social and administrative challenges.
Key participants
The event featured participation from institutions like the Basque Government, the Provincial Councils of Bizkaia and Álava, SPRI, and Fomento San Sebastián, alongside startups and corporations. Notable companies for their innovation in the public sector included:
- Anjana Data (advanced data management)
- Opscura (cybersecurity)
- Kwido (elderly care technology)
- Wetak (smart cities)
- Nymiz (data anonymization)
- Multiverse (augmented and virtual reality)
- Smowltech (exam monitoring)
- Libelium (IoT sensors)
- Galgus (wireless connectivity)
Key conversation blocks: Govtech ecosystem insights
The event’s core discussions were structured into three conversation blocks, where the challenges, opportunities, and future of the Govtech ecosystem in Euskadi were explored.
1. Current state of Govtech in Euskadi
- Public institutions such as the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and SPRI shared their experiences in implementing Govtech projects, highlighting the importance of internal training within public administrations to adapt to new technologies. They emphasized that innovation should not solely come from technology departments but should be a cross-departmental effort.
- A key takeaway was the importance of properly identifying and defining problems before seeking technological solutions. Instead of requesting specific technologies, the focus should be on understanding the real needs of the users.
2. Key topics to promote the Govtech ecosystem
- The challenges that startups face in public procurement were discussed, with administrative complexities still being a barrier. However, tools like the Public Procurement of Innovation (CPI) were highlighted as ways to ease startups’ entry into the public sector.
- The need for a cultural shift within public administrations was also emphasized, suggesting that procurement should be seen as an opportunity to collaborate with the private sector and improve services through innovation.
3. Future of Govtech in Euskadi: Innovation and scalability
- The importance of creating testing and experimentation spaces was highlighted, where startups can validate their solutions before large-scale adoption. These initiatives reduce risks and build trust between startups and public administrations.
- Additionally, the role of large corporations as integrators was discussed. These corporations act as bridges between startups and public administrations, helping filter and validate technological solutions before presenting them to the public sector, thus facilitating more structured and secure technology adoption.
Conclusions
The Govtech Meeting emphasized the importance of fostering public-private collaboration to transform public services through technology. Creating the right incentives and opening experimentation spaces is crucial for startups and large companies to work together and develop solutions that meet the needs of citizens.
At Nymiz, we recognize the importance of these initiatives and remain committed to providing solutions that enable public administrations to protect sensitive data and comply with privacy regulations, ensuring that digital transformation does not compromise security or public trust.
