In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital transformation, European public administrations are striving to deliver smarter, more connected, and more user-centric services. The Interoperable Europe Act plays a crucial role in the EU strategy to enhance collaboration on interoperability across public administrations within the EU. Central to these efforts is the INVEST project, aiming to develop a Strategic Roadmap for the effective implementation of the Act. In this context, INVEST has conducted a series of webinars engaging Member States to gather insights and identify promising developments that can advance interoperability. Among these key developments is Mosaico, Portugal’s solution for guiding and supporting the digital transformation of public services.

Mosaico is the national platform for guiding and supporting the digital transformation of public services in Portugal. Created and maintained by AMA – the Portuguese Administrative Modernization Agency – it acts as a comprehensive framework of rules, principles, and resources to ensure that all public entities align their services with the gov.pt standard. Rather than presenting a top-down legal obligation, Mosaico offers an accessible, modular, and evolving set of tools that helps entities design better services – from conception to implementation.
 

Mosaico doesn’t treat interoperability as an afterthought – it builds it in from the very beginning. Among its 11 core principles, two stand out for their direct contribution to Europe’s interoperability goals:

• Principle 5 – Security and Privacy: Ensures that data protection and trust are central to every digital service.
• Principle 7 – Interoperability: Encourages systems that can seamlessly interact, exchange information, and avoid duplication.

To support these goals in practice, Mosaico includes a dedicated Technical Area on Enterprise Architecture, helping entities map and align their IT systems to shared reference models and service patterns. It also helps entities comply with key EU regulations like the Single Digital Gateway Regulation (SDGR) by offering clear pathways for implementation.

Mosaico was launched in 2022, and in 2024 it registered 20,324 visits to the website (source: google analytics), demonstrating engagement growth.
Since its public launch, Mosaico has laid the foundations to potentially reach:

• 2,354 public services available on ePortugal
• 443 Government websites
• 4,517 public entities across all administrative levels
• 748,870 public administration employees

These numbers represent the ecosystem that Mosaico is designed to support – not just through formal adoption, but by enabling a culture of shared, modular public service design in a single access point.

Portugal’s approach to digital public services – centred on co-creation, clarity, and interoperability – offers a valuable template for other Member States. Mosaico’s structure, with its clear phases, technical guidelines, and governance and technical roles, supports organizations of all sizes, from local municipalities to national ministries.

By codifying standards and offering step-by-step guidance, Mosaico helps align national services with the Interoperable Europe Act and fosters a common European digital space where collaboration and innovation thrive. Its open design and publicly accessible resources make it a strong candidate for reuse and adaptation beyond Portugal’s borders.

At its heart, Mosaico is more than a platform – it is a philosophy of interconnected, user-focused, and trustworthy public services. It empowers organisations to simplify complex systems, connect across silos, and evolve with confidence. As Europe moves forward with the Interoperable Europe Strategy, national solutions like Mosaico will be key to turning ambition into action – one piece at a time.

Contact: mosaico@ama.gov.pt