The new decade has been off to a tumultuous start. Amid countries fighting to contain the spread of a deadly virus and grappling with its repercussions, in 2020, the need for innovative government technology is clearer than ever before. But while recent developments may have highlighted its value, GovTech was already on a
rise before COVID-19 unfolded. 

In today’s Europe, it is evident that citizens both have clear expectations of how their governments should operate and are committed to making their demands heard. Whether it’s in relation to government services or decision-making processes, citizens’ calls for more efficiency and better accessibility cannot be overheard.

In response to surging citizen demands against the backdrop of ever-expanding modern technology, GovTech emerged as a promising catalyst for the type of change needed at the governmental level. GovTech has the power to transform how government and public sector organisations engage with citizens and, as a result, took on an increasingly central role across the globe. And its potential continues to expand, driven by the innovative approaches of a growing number of actors in the field.

For the European public sector, the future lies here. Exactly how this transformation will play out remains to be seen, however. To understand what lies ahead for government operations, we must take a closer look at GovTech’s development thus far.

This white paper aims to provide readers with an overview of GovTech’s flourishing ecosystem, taking stock of the different actors and trends shaping the field. Based on the input from experts working in the sector, the paper discusses both its current role and the potential it holds for the future.

By increasing awareness and visibility of GovTech, this discussion aims to contribute to the sector’s growth in the future. Its scope makes the paper relevant to startups, elected officials, civil servants and citizens alike.

The research process was conducted in collaboration between Wavestone and Civocracy. The findings of the paper are based on extensive desk research of the relevant publications as well as a mapping of the key actors in the field. From this, a database mapping 500 European GovTech startups was built. Lastly, the inputs from experts were crucial to developing and validating the findings. For this, interviews were conducted with Emily McDonnell, Head of Communications at Civocracy, Kiann Stenkjaer Hein and Ramraj Puvinathan from PUBLIC (Denmark), legal expert
Simona Frazzani, Sasha Haselmayer CEO and Founder at Citymart, Thomas Poulsen, COO of the Innovation Centre of Denmark, Faruk Tuncer, CEO and founder at Polyteia