Scope

This research project sets out to analyse the transformation of the public sector and its service provision through digital innovation by taking into consideration the diversity of the European territory in terms of socio-economic, cultural and environmental endowments in different cities.
The research shall provide evidence, recommendations on how processes related to the harnessing of digital innovation in the transformation of governance and public service provision in cities across Europe to generate public value, increase openness, citizen participation and common ownership as well as bring the economic and social benefits of this transformation to all local communities. The main focus here should lie on the changing nature of government structure and processes, ways of working, the role of data, standards and platforms, multilevel governance and networking in scaling up digital innovation and delivering a holistic digital public sector.
Keywords: citizen-centric approach, digital transformation, co-creation, Innovation 2.0, open innovation ecosystems, public services, governance, public value, scale-up, interoperability, open data, interoperable digital platforms.
Theme: Digital transformation, governance

Policy questions

How can the EU, Member and Partner States, their regions and cities effectively keep pace with as well as drive and manage technological advances, public expectations and changing socioeconomic conditions?
What kind of organisational transformation is needed to genuinely reshape the public sector, its governance and service provision in the digital era? What are the roles of digital innovation, openness, co-creation, citizens, businesses, common markets, new institutions, ecosystems, data, platforms and technology?
What constitutes public value and where – and how - the public sector can better focus its resources when delivering digital public services? What is the interplay between data, trust, platforms and service design, procurement and delivery? How to avoid agencification?
What are the main territorial preconditions, driving forces and bottlenecks for scaling up digital innovation in governance and public service provision within and between public administrations?
How can the scaling up of digital innovation ensure more effective achievement of EU-wide policy objectives reflecting the specific potentials and investment needs of different places?