What three days in Madrid revealed about the state of digital government and where it needs to go next. 

The third edition of the GovTech 4 Impact World Congress closed in Madrid on 7 May 2026, bringing together more than 1,000 registered participants from 57 countries across three days of keynotes, panel sessions, fireside chats, and working forums led by 99 speakers. 

From the moment Ori Lahav, CEO of Kenes Group, opened the Congress with a challenge to every person in the room: “take one thing home, one idea, one decision you will make differently”, it was clear that G4I 2026 was designed for practical action. 

Every session was anchored in real-world implementation, and the conversations that continued in the corridors, at the networking reception, and over coffee proved just as consequential as those that happened on stage. 

This year’s edition was also a Congress of firsts: the official launch of the WEF GovTech Compass, the inaugural GovTech4All Awards ceremony on the Main Stage, and the first-ever Mayors Leadership Forum — which produced a GovTech Manifesto signed by city leaders from across Europe and the United States. Together, these moments marked that G4I has moved well beyond a forum for discussion and into a platform for coordinated action. 

We’ve put together a must-read report to guide you through the most pressing challenges and winning strategies for digital government in 2026. Let’s not leave the conversation end on the stage and keep the ideas alive, the collaborations flowing, and the action moving forward.