The World Economic Forum, currently underway in Davos, Switzerland, announced the establishment of the Global Center for Government Technology in Berlin, Germany. This initiative aims to focus on public sector innovation in Germany and around the world, enhancing digital transformation and the application of emerging technologies in government and public sector institutions.
A press release published on the Forum’s website on Tuesday stated that the new center will be part of the World Economic Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network (C4IR). The statement highlighted that government technology is expected to become the world’s largest software market, reaching over a trillion dollars by 2028. This growth reflects the technological progress that is transforming the relationship between citizens, the private sector, and the state.
This development underscores the urgent need for all stakeholders to recognize both the opportunities and risks arising; it is essential for them to collaboratively innovate solutions, identify critical challenges, and jointly address strategic priorities. The statement affirmed that the new center represents a first-of-its-kind effort to systematically connect the national ecosystem for innovation in government technology with a global network of experts and practitioners to inform and inspire government technology agendas worldwide.
German Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate, Dr. Robert Habeck, stated: “The Federal Government, through its first Federal Strategy for Startups and Digital Strategy, is committed to enhancing the government technology landscape for modernizing the government and public administration. The Global Government Technology Center will have a direct impact on high-priority government initiatives, such as delivering AI solutions for the public sector. This robust collaboration between startups and the government can be crucial in developing and testing democracy-compliant AI solutions. It will provide more business cases in the field of government technology for German startups.”
According to the statement, the new center will leverage national expertise within Germany as well as the Forum’s global communities, mobilizing the power and technological infrastructure for multi-stakeholder collaboration. It will be uniquely positioned to accelerate the digital transformation of the government and create significant value for the new ecosystem at both national and international levels.
