Building interoperability for real impact

Author: Angelica Lindqvist

SEMIC 2025 brought together Europe’s leading voices in digital government and interoperability,  and GovTech4All was there to share insights, connect with new partners and showcase the impact of our pilot projects. Aligned with this year’s theme, “Interoperability for Impact”, the conference offered a valuable moment to reflect on what we have achieved so far and gather fresh momentum for the next phase of our work.

SEMIC 2025 brought together leaders, practitioners and innovators from across Europe to explore one of the most pressing questions in digital government today: How do we create interoperability that truly delivers impact? With this year’s theme perfectly aligned with the Interoperable Europe Act, the conference in Copenhagen offered two days filled with forward-looking discussions, hands-on exchanges and powerful reminders of why collaboration sits at the heart of Europe’s digital transformation.

SEMIC 2025 set the stage for deep and forward-looking discussions on how Europe can move from high-level digital ambitions to tangible outcomes for citizens, businesses and administrations. With the Interoperable Europe Act as a backdrop, speakers and participants emphasised that interoperability is no longer a technical afterthought, it is a strategic foundation for building seamless, trustworthy and human-centred public services. Semantics, AI-driven interoperability, digital-ready policymaking and strengthened GovTech ecosystems were highlighted as essential components of Europe’s digital future. As one speaker captured it: “Digitalisation alone is not enough — we must design for humans.” And we totally agree. 

For GovTech4All, the conference provided an ideal opportunity to showcase the success of our SGA1 pilots and demonstrate how targeted initiatives can evolve into scalable solutions. 

Our three pilots completed pilots: 

• Secure Information in Cross-Border Data Spaces
• Personal Regulation Assistans for Social Benefits
• Startup Challenge for Innovative Procurement

At our joint booth, hosted together with the Lisbon Council, Bron Innovation, GRNET, Thingwalla and Gobe Studio, we met a wide range of stakeholders drawn to the practical outcomes of our use cases. More than 30 organisations engaged with us, connecting national and regional public administrations, EU-level actors and a diverse mix of GovTech platforms and solution providers. These exchanges reinforced a shared belief that collaboration across borders, sectors and disciplines is key to accelerating impact.

From insight to impact

One of the strongest threads running through SEMIC was the idea of creating public services that genuinely work for people. Conversations repeatedly returned to the importance of co-design, user trust and service design principles in achieving real transformation. The “start small, scale smart” mindset resonated widely, showing how targeted pilots can build confidence before broader rollout. A simple but powerful metaphor from the exhibition area summed up the spirit of experimentation and creativity: “With LEGO, you can build anything. That’s innovation.”

Open-source solutions and component sharing were also widely discussed, captured in the reminder that sharing is caring. The Swedish Tax Agency and other frontrunners illustrated how openness, interoperability and a strong GovTech ecosystem can become powerful enablers of both innovation and efficiency.

Adding to this, several data points shared during the conference highlighted Europe’s evolving GovTech landscape. Denmark demonstrated what high trust, and strong digital adoption can achieve, 77% of citizens use digital public services weekly, and 84% trust them. Meanwhile, Europe hosts over 5,000 GovTech solutions, yet many face scaling challenges due to regulatory fragmentation and procurement barriers. With the global GovTech market valued at €9.8 trillion, and Europe representing around €400 billion of that, the potential for growth is enormous if ecosystem-building, interoperability and innovation-friendly governance continue to advance.

We see these principles reflected in several of our GovTech4All pilots under SGA2. For instance, Pilot 4: Public Service Marketplace brings together municipalities, agencies, and citizens to co-create reusable digital components, while Pilot 5: Simple Intelligent Procurement demonstrates the “start small, scale smart” approach by beginning in Iceland before expanding to Malta. Other examples include Pilot 3: GovTech AI Sandbox, which provides a safe environment for testing AI-driven solutions, and Pilot 8: Citizen-Centric Rules as Code, transforming legislation into machine-readable formats to enhance transparency and interoperability. Together, these efforts show how Europe can move from insight to impact—turning vision into scalable innovation.

Celebrating progress and looking ahead

SEMIC 2025 also celebrated standout achievements in the GovTech community. Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transition received the Best G2C Solution award for Diia.AI, which is set to be integrated into the GovTech4All Super App pilot for North Macedonia. The Generalitat de Catalunya, one of our partners in GovTech4All, received an Honourable Mention for its GenAI4PA initiative in the environmental sector, demonstrating how generative AI can support complex public-sector challenges.

For GovTech4All, the conference served as more than a showcase. It was a moment to deepen relationships, spark new collaborations and gather insights that will shape our continued work in SGA2. We leave Copenhagen with strengthened partnerships, renewed energy and a clear message echoed across SEMIC: interoperability, when done right, can create real impact, open, scalable and centred on people.