In early May, ministers, mayors, chief digital officers, start-ups, and industry leaders will converge on Madrid, where they will grapple with one of the defining questions of our age: how can government institutions harness technology to deliver better outcomes for their citizens?
The timing is significant. In recent years, governments have faced overlapping pressures. Demographic shifts, geopolitical instability, fiscal constraints, and the exponential growth of new technologies such as artificial intelligence have fundamentally altered the environment within which they operate.
Carlos Santiso is a Senior Advisor on Digital Government and Artificial Intelligence at the OECD and a member of the G4I Expert Committee that oversees the event. He told The Parliament that the Congress will provide an opportunity to explore new ways to harness the benefits of technology to deliver transformation in public service delivery.
“At a time of disruptive digital transformations, govtech ecosystems offer new forms of public-private partnerships between tech start-ups and public administrations to empower citizens,” Santiso said. “They help put users at the centre of public services, making digital government more people-centered, reactive and responsive.”
That focus on people, not systems, is at the heart of the agenda at this year’s Congress. G4I 2026 is structured around ten thematic tracks designed to convert policy ambition into practical delivery. Among them, Connected Government and Citizen Trust will examine how administrations can rebuild confidence through transparency, data ethics, and service quality. Meanwhile, Beyond Legacy: Building Governments That Deliver tackles how to reform bureaucracies built for analogue eras so they can better meet modern expectations.
Santiso argues that the fundamental shift currently taking place demands new ways of working and different forms of collaboration that connect technical innovation with democratic institutions.
“GovTech start-ups are allies in governments’ race to public innovation and digital resilience.”
“The future of government is digital,” Santiso explained. “GovTech start-ups have become unexpected allies in governments’ race to public innovation and digital resilience.”
Organisers are anticipating a repeat of the high levels of attendance witnessed at previous Congresses. The last edition of G4I brought together more than 850 participants from 55 countries, reflecting a growing global recognition that public innovation requires collaboration and dialogue. The 2026 Congress will once again convene leaders from local, regional, national, and international administrations alongside global corporations, start-ups, academics, and investors.
The emerging agenda includes an international lineup of speakers, including Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s first Digital Minister, Ott Velsberg, Estonia’s Government Chief Data Officer, and Valeriya Ionan of Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation, alongside senior figures from the United Nations, World Bank, and European Commission.
Attendees will hear first-hand about some of the most recent thinking on the role that technology can play in reshaping delivery in mission-critical areas such as AI policy, digital identity, and the relationship between states and citizens.
“Digitalisation is resetting the relationship between states and citizens, putting people at the centre of public services,” Santiso reminds us. “Many governments are fast-tracking ambitious reforms to streamline and simplify government bureaucracies to unlock economic competitiveness and better deliver to citizens and business.”
The Congress is guided by an Expert Committee comprised of senior practitioners and policy leaders from across government, industry, and academia. Their remit is to ensure that debate remains grounded in evidence and experience and that innovation is always connected to impact.
As governments face mounting expectations to do more with less, technology is increasingly seen as a lever for legitimacy as well as efficiency. G4I 2026 provides one of the most diverse and dynamic arenas where emerging issues can be explored and tensions addressed. It will provide insight and connections for decision-makers navigating complex institutional and technological change.
It is also a Congress that is inclusive by design, with practical steps taken to remove barriers to participation. Attendance for government, public sector, and multilateral institutions is complimentary, reflecting the Congress’s mission to support public sector innovation and broaden access to the conversation. Industry and other participants can register at standard rates.
Digital transformation in government is at an important tipping point as the focus shifts from ambition to implementation. Managing that transition is an immediate reality for many senior leaders. Events like G4I 2026 provide a practical forum to build the knowledge, relationships, and understanding that will enable them to deliver that shift.
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