New study highlights interoperability and GovTech as key enablers for Europe’s digital capacity beyond 2027
more news
The European Commission has published a new study on the EU’s critical digital capacities deployment beyond 2027, looking at the opportunities, challenges and investment needs that will shape Europe’s digital transformation in the next programming period.
The study, which is led by DG CNECT, identifies digital areas where future EU funding can support capacity building, deployment, skills and infrastructure development under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). Its findings are particularly relevant for Interoperable Europe, as interoperability is presented as a strategic enabler for the Union’s resilience, digital sovereignty, and competitiveness.
Interoperability and GovTech: a foundation for cross-border digital public services
Annex 15 of the study focuses specifically on interoperability and GovTech. It underlines that the two areas are closely connected: interoperability provides the technical, semantic, and organisational foundation that allows GovTech solutions to scale across borders, sectors and administrations.
The study describes interoperability as a cornerstone of the EU’s digital sovereignty agenda. It enables public administrations to exchange data, reuse solutions and build seamless cross-border services. GovTech, in turn, supports more innovative, efficient, transparent and citizen-centred public services, helping administrations reduce burdens, automate routine processes and improve service delivery.
Key priorities for deployment
Annex 15 identifies several high-priority areas for deployment by 2028.
The first is semantic data interoperability and digital transformation, with a focus on machine readability and platform neutrality. Machine-readable data allows information stored in databases, sensors or digital artefacts to be accessed, exchanged and reused by computers. This is essential for automation, data quality, advanced analytics and evidence-based policymaking.
Platform neutrality is also highlighted as a strategic priority. By relying on open standards and avoiding dependence on specific vendors or proprietary ecosystems, public administrations can reduce lock-in risks and ensure that public digital services remain adaptable, sustainable and interoperable over time.
The second priority concerns infrastructure, particularly digital public infrastructure and cross-border data spaces. For instance, common, interoperable data spaces in areas such as health, mobility and public procurement can unlock the value of public and private data across the EU, provided they are supported by shared governance frameworks, semantic assets and reusable building blocks.
The third priority is artificial intelligence for interoperability. AI can support public administrations by helping to structure, curate, standardise and link data across technical, semantic, legal and organisational layers. Practical applications include smart data mapping, automated metadata generation and translation tools that can support cross-border cooperation.
The study also identifies digital twins for public administration and services, as well as artificial intelligence in the public sector, as medium-priority areas for deployment by 2028.
Europe’s strengths and remaining challenges
The study points to a strong European foundation for interoperability and GovTech. This includes the Interoperable Europe Act, the European Interoperability Framework (EIF), EU digital building blocks such as eID, eSignature and eDelivery, and semantic assets such as DCAT-AP and core vocabularies.
The Interoperable Europe Portal, the Interoperable Europe Community and the Interoperable Europe Academy are also part of this ecosystem, helping public administrations share solutions, build capacity and reduce duplication.
At the same time, the study highlights persistent challenges. Public administrations across Europe still rely on legacy IT systems, fragmented data formats and nationally siloed approaches. Semantic mismatches, limited staff capacity in areas such as data management and APIs, and risk-averse procurement practices continue to slow down the deployment of interoperable digital public services.
The study also stresses that interoperability is increasingly linked to digital sovereignty. Many public administrations remain dependent on non-European cloud, productivity and platform providers for critical services, creating strategic vulnerabilities. Open-source and vendor-neutral approaches are therefore presented as important tools to strengthen autonomy, transparency and long-term interoperability.
Investment needs for the next phase
The study identifies several investment needs for the Interoperability and GovTech ecosystem. By 2028, it recommends continued investment in interoperability solutions and GovTech cooperation mechanisms, broader experimentation through pilots and sandboxes, and support for standardised APIs, cloud migration, interoperability frameworks and data integration platforms.
It also highlights the need to improve access to enabling infrastructure, including sovereign cloud infrastructure and domestic technology capabilities, including open-source solutions. Skills are another priority, with a need for targeted training, e-learning platforms and digital collaboration tools for the public sector.
The study also calls for demand-side initiatives from public authorities to support the emergence of start-ups and tech companies specialised in GovTech, as well as changes in public procurement practices to favour interoperability, reuse and innovation.
Looking further ahead, the study points to mission-oriented funding for interoperability and GovTech as well as regulatory harmonisation initiatives.
What this means for Interoperable Europe
The findings confirm the importance of a coordinated European approach to interoperability. The Interoperable Europe Act, the Interoperable Europe Board, shared solutions, common standards and communities of practice are essential to help public administrations move from isolated digital services to connected, reusable and cross-border digital public services.
Interoperability is not just a technical requirement. It is a practical condition for better digital public services, a driver of digital sovereignty and a key enabler of Europe’s competitiveness.
Explore the study:
Read DG CNECT’s announcement: Boosting tech deployment beyond 2027
Read the full study: Study on the EU’s critical digital capacities deployment beyond 2027