In a recent café, various stakeholders from the GovTech4All project and the SPIN4EIC initiative came together to discuss ongoing projects, potential collaborations, and future plans. 

The session highlighted the importance of innovation procurement, cross-border digital solutions, and community-building efforts to enhance public services across Europe. This blog post summarizes the key points and takeaways from the meeting.

GovTech4All: Project Highlights and Pilot Initiatives 

The GovTech4All project encompasses three significant pilot initiatives: 

Pilot 1: Secure Cross-Border Information Sharing
This pilot focuses on implementing secure information-sharing solutions using quantum-safe and homomorphic encryption, together with common Data Spaces technology. The two use cases include health information exchange over instant messaging and academic diploma verification. This initiative involves collaboration through the use of open-source libraries, which will be embedded in two common & reusable frameworks and will include functional deployment in France and Greece.

Pilot 2: Citizen Services and Rule-as-Code
This pilot aims to simplify access to social benefits through digital simulators and methodologies. An example of this is the OpenFisca project in France, which is being extended to other member states. The pilot also includes providing partners with training on rule-as-code methodologies. 

Pilot 3: Startup Challenge for Energy Efficiency Solutions
This pilot focuses on running innovative public procurement for energy efficiency solutions using design contests. Participants include six local government from Lithuania, Sweden, Greece and Spain. The deliverables for this pilot are comprehensive and include guidelines, a toolkit, a demo day, startup scouting and ongoing procurement. 

Advancing Innovation Procurement: The SPIN4EIC Initiative

The European Innovation Council (EIC) Innovation Procurement program powered by SPIN4EIC aims to establish EIC  as the center of excellence on innovation procurement focusing on the supply side.

This program aims at enhancing the skills of EIC beneficiaries, facilitating connections with buyers, and providing tailored assistance to foster innovation and access procurement markets in Europe and at a global level.

The initiative encompasses serval key activities. Regular pitching events are organized to connect public and private sector buyers with EIC innovators, creating opportunities for collaboration and market uptake through procurement of breakthrough solutions.

Additionally, the program provides assistance to public buyers to help them effectively carry out innovation procurement processes contributing thus to the mainstreaming of innovation procurement in Europe. To reinforce even more innovation through procurement, the program foresees the implementation of Innovation Procurement Academies to train EIC beneficiaries on how to become potential suppliers in tenders, enhancing their capacity to participate in procurement opportunities. It also offers them tailored made assistance to submit offers in Europe and at a global level. Finally, in the near future a toolkit will be published in the context of this program that will provide hands on information to innovators (SMEs and start-ups)  in Europe on how to access procurement markets.  

Synergies and Future Collaborations 

In an effort to foster synergies and future collaborations, serval key initiatives have been proposed: 

• Community Building
  The proposal aims to create a unified community that includes participants from both the GovTech4All project and the SPIN4EIC Initiative. This integrated community will help avoid working in silos and enhance the development of digital public services. 
• Joint Events
  One idea is to organize a large matchmaking event that brings together buyers and EIC beneficiaries. This event will provide a platform for presenting innovative solutions to identified challenges, facilitating direct engagement and collaboration. 
• Official Documentation
  It has been suggested that details of these collaborations be incorporated into core projects proposals. This approach will ensure a structured method for utilizing shared resources and expertise, fostering a more cohesive and efficient collaborations process.
• Dedicated Points of Contact
  To further enhance communication and collaboration, the initiative recommends designating ambassadors from each project. These ambassadors will serve as dedicated points of contact, streamlining interactions and ensuring effective coordination between the projects. 

Conclusion

The meeting underscored the potential for impactful synergies between the GovTech4All project and the SPIN4EIC initiative. By leveraging each other’s strengths, resources, and networks, both projects can significantly enhance their contributions to innovation procurement and public service improvement across Europe. The proposed steps and ongoing discussions promise a productive path forward for all involved stakeholders. 

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In this blog post, we've captured the essence of the GovTech4all Café Session, highlighting key discussions, insights, and collaborative opportunities. If you have any further questions or suggestions for collaboration, feel free to reach out and join the conversation!