Governments around the world face a growing tension: they must respond to increasingly complex problems with limited resources, in a context of constant technological acceleration. In this environment, digital transformation can no longer be reduced to the digitization of existing services. As highlighted by international organizations such as the World Bank, the OECD and the World Economic Forum, the challenge is deeper: building sustainable institutional capacities that enable governments to collaborate, experiment and scale solutions in environments characterized by high uncertainty.

Recent GovTech maturity frameworks emphasize that governments capable of generating sustained public value are those that combine technological infrastructure with institutional mechanisms that enable experimentation, collaboration and large-scale adoption of digital solutions. In this context, the challenge is not only technological — it is organizational and strategic.

These challenges are at the core of the discussions that will take place at the Govtech 4 Impact World Congress (G4I) 2026, where policymakers, technology leaders and GovTech companies will explore how to transform isolated initiatives into sustainable institutional capabilities. The sessions of the congress address key issues such as institutional modernization, the development of digital public infrastructure and models of collaboration between governments and innovation ecosystems.

Within this global landscape, the experience of the city of Córdoba, Argentina, offers a concrete example of how a public challenge can evolve into an institutional instrument designed to strengthen open innovation and collaboration across ecosystem actors.

From Problem to Public Question

The city of Córdoba, Argentina, has developed a dynamic innovation ecosystem composed of universities, research centers, business chambers, SMEs and a growing number of startups. This network positions the city as a regional reference for knowledge-based innovation and as a fertile environment for the development of technology-driven solutions.

However, the presence of capabilities does not automatically translate into effective collaboration. In practice, several barriers limited the circulation of knowledge, services and opportunities among ecosystem actors. These included static and outdated directories, fragmented information distributed across multiple institutional and commercial platforms, heterogeneous terminology and user experiences that made it difficult to identify relevant actors and opportunities.

These limitations led to the formulation of a concrete public question: How can open innovation, collaboration and access to opportunities among actors in Córdoba’s innovation and knowledge economy ecosystem be strengthened through technology?

This question went beyond improving communication tools. It sought to reduce search costs, avoid duplication of efforts, strengthen institutional coordination and enhance the territory’s overall competitiveness. The formulation of this challenge marked a shift from isolated technological initiatives toward a systemic perspective focused on ecosystem governance.

Institutional Experimentation: The Role of the Sandbox

To address this challenge, the Public Innovation and GovTech Laboratory of the Municipality of Córdoba (CorLab), in collaboration with IDB Lab — the innovation and venture arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group — implemented an open innovation methodology that combined multiple instruments.

A central element of this approach was the launch of a public innovation challenge within a regulatory sandbox for Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI). This sandbox was designed not only to test technological solutions, but also to experiment with regulatory and operational conditions required to support innovation-oriented procurement processes.

At the time of implementation, the regulatory framework for innovation procurement remained under development. The sandbox therefore functioned as a controlled environment where new procedures, governance mechanisms and collaboration models could be tested before formal adoption. This experimentation allowed public officials, private sector actors and technical teams to explore operational alternatives while managing risks in a structured manner.

In parallel, co-creation sessions were conducted with sectoral experts, potential users and public-sector technical teams to define functional requirements. This collaborative design process ensured that the selected solution responded to real ecosystem needs rather than replicating pre-existing technological offerings.

Finally, a technical evaluation process assessed the scalability, sustainability and interoperability of the proposals received. This multi-stage process increased the likelihood that the resulting solution would function not merely as a technological tool, but as an institutional mechanism capable of supporting long-term collaboration.

From Technological Solution to Digital Public Infrastructure

The result of this process was iNNOVAB: a digital platform designed to intelligently connect technological supply with innovation demand across the ecosystem.

Unlike traditional directories, which operate as static repositories of information, iNNOVAB integrates an intelligent matching system that identifies connections between capabilities, interests and opportunities. The platform enables organizations and individuals to autonomously update their profiles, promotes data standardization through unified terminology and categories, and provides a centralized search engine that integrates calls, projects, institutions and ecosystem actors into a continuously evolving environment.

In addition, the platform incorporates automated and segmented notification systems that distribute opportunities — such as calls for proposals, innovation challenges, events and funding programs — to specific audiences based on declared areas of specialization, technologies used and institutional interests.

From a GovTech perspective, iNNOVAB functions as more than a digital platform. It operates as a foundational component of digital public infrastructure, enabling structured interaction between public institutions and external actors. By facilitating standardized data exchange and enabling transparent participation processes, the platform supports more predictable and accessible engagement between governments and innovation ecosystems.

In complex innovation environments, where information fragmentation increases transaction costs, the ability to centralize, structure and connect ecosystem data becomes a strategic institutional asset. By reducing informational asymmetries and enabling the identification of potential synergies, iNNOVAB contributes to strengthening a more collaborative and results-oriented innovation culture.

Evidence of Adoption and Use

As of the most recent measurement, the platform includes:

• 2,866 registered individuals
• 517 registered organizations
• 103 active and published opportunities

These figures provide an initial indication of ecosystem adoption and demonstrate the platform’s capacity to facilitate continuous interaction among stakeholders.

Beyond numerical indicators, the platform has contributed to strengthening ecosystem visibility and improving the circulation of opportunities among actors who previously operated in isolated environments. The dynamic updating of profiles and opportunities enables continuous engagement and supports the emergence of new collaborative relationships.

From an institutional perspective, this stage represents a transition from implementation to operational consolidation. Sustaining adoption requires not only technological reliability, but also governance mechanisms that ensure data quality, user participation and long-term institutional ownership.

Alignment with Global Trends and Transferable Lessons

The experience of iNNOVAB aligns with several global trends currently shaping GovTech and digital government strategies.

International organizations increasingly emphasize that digital transformation depends not only on technological adoption but also on the development of institutional mechanisms that support experimentation, collaboration and scaling. The emergence of regulatory sandboxes, open innovation platforms and ecosystem-oriented governance models reflects a broader shift toward more adaptive public institutions.

In this context, the iNNOVAB experience illustrates how experimentation mechanisms — such as regulatory sandboxes — can function as catalysts for institutional learning. Rather than attempting large-scale reforms without testing, governments can progressively validate new approaches through controlled experimentation environments.

Another transferable lesson concerns the role of structured data ecosystems as drivers of policy intelligence. By generating standardized and continuously updated information on ecosystem actors, capabilities and opportunities, platforms such as iNNOVAB contribute to evidence-based decision-making and enable governments to identify capability gaps, emerging technologies and collaboration trends.

Furthermore, the experience demonstrates that digital platforms can operate as bridges between public institutions and innovation ecosystems, reducing participation barriers and enabling more inclusive access to opportunities.

From Innovation to Institutional Capacity

Looking ahead, the main challenge is to consolidate the platform as a stable component of ecosystem governance, ensuring its continuous updating, expanding its user base and strengthening its articulation with local, national and international actors.

Long-term sustainability will depend on the platform’s ability to demonstrate measurable impact — including the creation of new partnerships, collaborative projects and innovation-driven initiatives that generate tangible public value.

The iNNOVAB experience demonstrates that public innovation can emerge from a well-formulated question and evolve into an institutional capability through deliberate design and technological support. What began as a public challenge aimed at addressing information barriers has evolved into a platform that structures, expands and strengthens collaboration among ecosystem actors.

In a global context where governments must do more with limited resources, initiatives such as iNNOVAB illustrate how digital public infrastructure can activate collective intelligence, strengthen territorial competitiveness and support the development of more effective, inclusive and sustainable public solutions.