Author: Lars Persson Skandevall, CEO at Bron Innovation

Based in the Västernorrland region of northern Sweden, Bron Innovation operates as an IT cluster and a digital innovation hub. Our region is known for being a stronghold for the digital development of the public sector in Sweden. Here, there are several national authorities that all play leading roles in the development of digital administration, municipalities recognized for being at the forefront of digitalization, and a thriving landscape of private companies that assist in this development through consulting services or by developing their own products.

A Digital Stronghold in Nothern Sweden

Given this background, it was natural for Bron Innovation to initiate the Swedish GovTech movement in 2019 and to now be an active partner in GovTech4All.

The challenges facing the welfare of Sweden and Europe are numerous, and the use of innovative digital solutions is key to addressing some of them. No analysis or strategy has overlooked this. However, the truth is that municipalities, regions, and authorities in Sweden do not have the capacity or ability to manage this transformation entirely on their own. The latest national situation report highlights that while Sweden still is a frontrunner in many perspectives, other countries are beginning to catch up, and development is progressing more slowly than expected. Therefore, concrete collaboration in a new way with the tech industry is necessary.

The Growing Importance of GovTech Collaboration

GovTech is a global movement that is growing, and the work done through GovTech4All has helped mobilize efforts in broad collaboration, increase knowledge through exchanges of experience, and develop concrete skills through pilots that test opportunities and explore challenges.

Lessons Learned and the Road Ahead for GovTech

For Bron Innovation, this has led to many important lessons:

• In the GovTech4All Startup Challenge, we are working together with one of the municipalities in our region, Örnsköldsvik, on a transformative journey to bridge the gap between innovation and public institutions to develop and implement AI-based solutions in energy efficiency.
• Through active participation in the GovTech ecosystem, we have learned from and been inspired by interesting concepts such as GovTech Labs, a working method we believe would accelerate the pace of GovTech in Sweden.
• By working on the project's communication, we have been able to gather knowledge and challenges that GovTech faces from various perspectives, as well as identify solutions that have worked in different countries and regions. This has proven to be a valuable source of knowledge and an important outcome of the project.

We firmly believe that GovTech has only just begun its development to become a crucial key enabler for a modern digital Europe, where society delivers smart welfare services developed in close collaboration with SMEs and startups, thereby contributing to jobs and prosperity throughout the EU.
 

*  In Swedish Bron means bridge.