Program
13:00-13:45
Welcome Session
Main Stage
The congress opens with insights from the G4I Expert Committee, setting the direction for three days focused on delivery, institutional transformation and global collaboration. This opening session highlights the priorities shaping how governments move from ambition to implementation in the digital era.
• Fernando de Pablo, Digital Office Director, City of Madrid
• Carlos Santiso, Senior Advisor on Digital Government and Artificial Intelligence with the Directorate of Public Governance of the OECD
• Miguel Porrúa, Digital Government Principal Specialist, Inter-American Development Bank,
• Natalia Laguyas, Lead Specialist, Ecosystem Building and Acceleration Division at IDB Lab, member of the Inter-American Development Bank Group
• Jonas Onland, Chief Vision Officer, Serendipity tech
• Tamara Srzentić, Minister of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media 42 Government of Montenegro
• Marina Manzoni, EU Policy Officer at European Commission
• Ana Rita Pereira, Public Sector Verticals Leader for Europe, Middle East & Africa at Microsoft
13:45 – 14:30
Fireside chat – Trustworthy Public Systems in an Age of Rapid Change
Main Stage
• Audrey Tang, Right Livelihood Award Winner; Taiwan’s City Ambassador; Taiwan’s 1st Digital minister and the world’s 1st nonbinary cabinet minister.
14:30 – 15:15
Coffee break & Networking
Exhibition & Networking Area
15:15-15:55
Panel Session: AI in Action: From Policy to Implementation
Main Stage
Governments around the world have adopted AI strategies, yet translating them into operational delivery remains a challenge. This session focuses on how public institutions are moving from policy to deployment, sharing lessons on governance, procurement, regulation and the institutional shifts required to embed AI into public services at scale.
Moderator: Carlos Santiso, Senior Advisor on Digital Government and Artificial Intelligence with the Directorate of Public Governance of the OECD.
• Laura Gillbert Senior Director of AI at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.
• Albert Tort, Secretary of Telecommunications and Digital Transformation of Government of Catalonia
• Rafael Fassio State Attorney and Lead Counsel for Science, Technology, and Innovation for the State of São Paulo
15:55-16:15
Fireside Chat
Main Stage
• Christine Bellamy, Interm Director General, Digital Products Group, Government Digital Service of the United Kingdom
16:15-16:45
Industry Session: Nextcloud
Main Stage
16:55 – 17:15
Study Presentation: The Agentic State Decoded: A Function-Based Assessment of Government Readiness
Main Stage
This session presents the 2026 Global State of GovTech Report, offering a systematic assessment of where agentic AI can create the greatest public value. Evaluating 70 core government functions, the report identifies high-impact opportunities while considering implementation readiness, risk and ethical safeguards. The session provides a strategic framework for prioritizing AI adoption across public administration and accelerating responsible transformation at scale.
• Manuel Kilian, Managing Director of the Global Government Technology Centre (GGTC) in Berlin
17:15 – 17:30
Industry Session: SICPA
Main Stage
17:45 – 18:30
Panel Session: Fostering and Defending Digital Nations
Main Stage
As digital infrastructure becomes critical national infrastructure, governments must balance innovation with resilience. This session explores digital sovereignty, cybersecurity and geopolitical risk, examining how institutions can protect systems, data and public trust while continuing to foster competitive innovation ecosystems.
• Matt Houlihan, Vice President, Government Affairs, Europe, Cisco.
18:30 – 19:30
Welcome Reception
Exhibition & Networking Area
An informal networking reception to close the first day. Join fellow policymakers, innovators and partners for drinks, conversation and connection.
09:15-09:55
Panel Session: Beyond Legacy: Building Governments That Work
Main Stage
Modernising legacy systems is no longer optional, yet disruption carries real risks for essential services. This session explores practical approaches to legacy transformation, digital architecture redesign and institutional change, focusing on how governments can build agile, interoperable systems while maintaining continuity.
• Ana Rita Pereira, Public Sector Verticals Leader for Europe, Middle East & Africa at Microsoft
• Giulio Quaggiotto, Innovation Advisor, Prime Ministers Office, UAE
• Leanne Cummings, Director Products and Services, Government Digital Service, United Kingdom
09:55-10:45
Panel Session: Digital Identity and Public Infrastructure
Main Stage
Digital Public Infrastructure is increasingly recognised as the foundation of inclusive digital economies. This session examines how digital identity, secure data exchange and interoperable platforms enable service innovation, financial inclusion and economic resilience, drawing lessons from countries building DPI as a long-term public asset.
• Pramod Varma, Co-Founder & Chief Architect, Networks For Humanity; Co-Creator, FINTERNET & BECKN; Co-Chair of CDPI India
• Alex Wong, Senior Advisor, Strategic Engagement and Initiatives; Office of the Secretary-General; International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
• Jana Krimpe, Founder and CEO of B.EST Solutions; TOP100 Influencers in Digital Identity worldwide
• Alexander Iosad, Director of the Government Innovation Policy team, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.
• Désirée Heutschi, Co-CEO of Procivis and Head of Corporate Development at Orell Füssli
10:45-11:30
Coffee Break & Networking
Exhibition & Networking Area
11:30-12:00
Keynote Speaker: Innovating Under Pressure, From Digital State to Agentic State; From Civil Innovation to Defense: Ukraine’s New Innovation Architecture
Main Stage
• Valeriya Ionan, Independent Strategic Advisor to the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.
12:00-13:00
Coming Up
13:00-13:30
Panel Session: AI in Public Services: Pilots, Scale, and Digital Sovereignty
Main Stage
Moving from pilots to institutional scale remains one of the biggest challenges in public-sector AI. This session focuses on what it takes to operationalise AI responsibly across institutions, including procurement reform, data governance, workforce capability and the growing importance of sovereign AI infrastructure.
Moderator: Marina Manzoni EU Policy Officer at the European Commision.
• Tiago Carneiro, Digital Government/GovTech Coordinator for the Western Balkans and the EU at the World Bank
• Jaume Miralles, Director General of AI, Efficiency and Data in Administration of the Government of Catalonia
• Laman Ibrahimova, Head of ASAN AI Hub
13:40-14:40
Lunch Break & Networking
Exhibition & Networking Area
14:40-15:40
Industry slot
Main Stage
15:40 – 16:00
Keynote Speaker Session
Main Stage
• Ott Velsberg, Government Chief Data Officer of Estonia
16:00-16:45
Plenary Session: Collaboration Models Between Startups and Governments
Main Stage
Effective GovTech ecosystems depend on sustainable partnerships between governments and innovators. This session explores how procurement innovation, regulatory experimentation and shared risk models can enable startups to scale solutions while helping governments adopt innovation more effectively.
Moderator: Natalia Laguyas, Lead Specialist, Ecosystem Building and Acceleration Division at IDB Lab
• Idoia Ortiz de Artiñano, CEO and Co-Fouder, GOBE
17:00-17:30
GovTech4All Awards in partnership with GovTech for Impact
Main Stage
The GovTech4All Awards showcase digital transformation projects developed through collaboration between startups, digital SMEs, and European public administrations.
In collaboration with GovTech for Impact 2026, the awards highlight scalable GovTech initiatives that strengthen Europe’s institutions and improve public services. Winners will be selected with the support of the G4I Expert Committee.
17:30 – 18:00
Plenary Session: Lessons for the World: From Innovation to Public Impact
Main Stage
This global exchange brings together leaders from different regions to share practical lessons from their digital transformation journeys. The discussion focuses on what works in practice, what scales across contexts and how governments can adapt successful models to their own institutional realities.
18:00 – 18:30
Coming Up
09:15- 9:45
Panel Session: Trust Reset: Winning Back Citizens
Main Stage
Public trust is increasingly shaped by how governments use technology. This session examines transparency, accountability, digital ethics and citizen participation, focusing on how institutions can rebuild confidence while deploying AI and digital systems responsibly.
• Tamara Srzentić, Minister of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media 42 Government of Montenegro
• Micaela Sánchez Malcom, Secretary of Public Innovation of the Chief Cabinet of Ministers, Argentina; President of Géneras; Former Secretary of State for Public Innovation of Argentina.
9:45 – 10:45
Roundtables Session
Main Stage
These interactive discussions bring together policymakers, investors and innovators for focused, small-group exchanges on the future of digital government. Participants are invited to take an active role in the conversation, sharing perspectives and helping shape the discussion. Key insights will be captured and published, contributing to ongoing collaboration across the GovTech ecosystem.
10:45-11:25
Panel Session: People Power: Reducing Investment Risk and Scaling GovTech Solutions
Main Stage
Scaling GovTech requires capital, confidence and institutional alignment. This session explores how blended finance, impact metrics and public-private partnerships can reduce investment risk and create conditions for sustainable growth in GovTech markets.
• Igor Lys, Founder of Government Tomorrow Forum and of Gambit advisory agency
• Eddie Copeland, Director of the London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI), United Kingdom
• Pedro Tavares, Co-Founder and CEO of GovHorizon; Former Secretary of State for Justice, Portugal
• Marina Manzoni, EU Policy Officer at European Commision
11:25-12:15
Coffee Break & Networking
Exhibition & Networking Area
12:15 – 13:10
Coming Up
13:10 – 13:30
Plenary Session: Tourism and Innovation: Sustainable Destinations
Main Stage
Tourism is increasingly shaped by digital governance and data-driven decision-making. This session explores how destinations can use digital tools, policy innovation and ecosystem partnerships to strengthen sustainability, economic resilience and local value creation.
• Natalia Bayona, Executive Director of UN tourism, the United Nations World Tourism Organization
• Stef del Azar, Communications Manager at the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)
13:30- 13:55
Plenary Session: Connected Government: Making Systems Talk
Main Stage
Interoperability underpins effective public service delivery. This session examines how standards, data exchange frameworks and institutional coordination enable governments to provide seamless services across departments, jurisdictions and sectors.
• Eduard Mihalas (UNFPA),
• Angie Kenny (Public Digital),
• Stefanos Kotoglou (Digit)
13:55-14:15
Conference Wrap Up
Main Stage
