Berlin, Germany, 1 October 2024 – The World Economic Forum and GovTech Campus Deutschland opened the Global Government Technology Centre (GGTC) in Berlin yesterday, marking a significant milestone for the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) Network. The GGTC is the first C4IR Centre exclusively focused on advancing GovTech solutions to accelerate the global digital transformation of governments, and the first to open in a G7 country.
The expanding Global GovTech Network fosters a whole-of-government approach by applying emerging technologies and digital innovations to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness, and accessibility of public administration and services. It helps governments modernize through collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and scaling proven GovTech solutions to improve service delivery to citizens.
Inaugurated by Børge Brende, President of the World Economic Forum, along with Dr. Markus Richter, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community and Federal Government Commissioner for Information Technology, the GGTC is a pioneering initiative designed to connect the German GovTech innovation ecosystem with a global network of experts and practitioners. As a physical and digital space, the GGTC will bring together governments, technology leaders, and policymakers to drive innovation and facilitate policy development, providing governments with actionable insights and tools for transformation.
“Governments around the world are facing unprecedented challenges to leverage new technologies to build more inclusive societies at a time when public confidence is more critical than ever,” said Børge Brende, President of the World Economic Forum.“ The Global Government Technology Centre in Berlin will act as a hub for innovation and experimentation and will provide an opportunity to empower citizens.”
The GGTC Berlin was first announced at the Annual Meeting in Davos in January, with a vision to harness the vast potential of new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, and Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality. A core feature of the Centre's work will be a growing, global directory of GovTech use cases. At the opening, the first cases showcased the diverse applications of GovTech, with presentations from the UN World Food Programme, the Government of Ukraine, the Government of the United Arab Emirates, and the City of Amarillo, Texas.
“The GGTC Berlin will offer public sector organizations a powerful set of tools to modernize the way they work, enhance the quality and accessibility of public services, and expand their reach. As the founding partner, I am confident that Capgemini’s extensive experience of creating and leveraging digital ecosystems will help public sector clients access solutions that will drive greater value and foster innovation,” said Marc Reinhardt, Public Sector Global Industry Leader at Capgemini.
"It is time to unlock the massive potential of digital technologies in government and public administration, not only in national governments, but also across different countries. We need to learn from each other, explore existing use cases, and fast-track high-priority digital transformation activities. It is crucial to provide a platform like GGTC for this kind of collaboration and exchange between governments, technology companies, or research organizations,“ said Markus Richter, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community.
As initial founding partners, the State of Berlin and global business and technology transformation company Capgemini bring a strong blend of leadership in governance and technological expertise, instrumental in shaping the Centre’s ongoing development. This dynamic public-private partnership will contribute to bringing in new partners from government, technology, and academia, further expanding its global reach.
About the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution is a platform for multistakeholder collaboration, bringing together public and private sectors to maximize technological benefits to society while minimizing the risks. It explores exponential technologies and drives their responsible adoption and application, leveraging a global network of independent national and thematic centres.
The World Economic Forum launched the first Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in San Francisco in 2017, shortly followed by centres in Japan and India. The network now includes centres in Austin (Centre for Trustworthy Technology), Azerbaijan, Colombia, Michigan (US Centre for Advanced Manufacturing), Germany (Global Government Technology Centre), Israel, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia Centre for Space Futures, Serbia, Telangana (India), the United Arab Emirates, Ukraine (Global Government Technology Centre) and Viet Nam.
About the World Economic Forum Global GovTech Network
The GovTech Network convenes a cross-sectoral community of GovTech champions to identify emerging trends, strategic priorities, and critical roadblocks in shaping an ambitious and actionable agenda to fast-track the digital transformation of government and public services.
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