World Economic Forum establishes global government technology centre in Berlin

Davos [Switzerland], January 16 : The World Economic Forum (WEF) and GovTech Campus Deutschland, with support from the City of Berlin and the German federal government, have announced the inauguration of the Global Government Technology Centre Berlin (GGTC Berlin).
Recognising the transformative potential of government technology, the centre will focus on public sector innovation, digital transformation, and the application of emerging technologies in government and public sector organizations.
Government technology is poised to become the world's largest software market, with an estimated market size exceeding USD 1 trillion by 2028, according to a statement by the World Economic Forum.
The rapid evolution of technology is reshaping the dynamics between citizens, the private sector, and the state, emphasizing the pressing need for collaborative efforts to understand emerging opportunities, address risks, and pioneer innovative solutions.
The GGTC Berlin represents a groundbreaking initiative, systematically connecting a national GovTech innovation ecosystem with a global network of experts and practitioners.
This collaborative approach aims to inform and inspire GovTech agendas on a global scale.
Klaus Schwab, Founder and Chairman of the World Economic Forum, highlighted the significance of the new centre, stating, "The new centre in Germany will act as a hub for the Forum's GovTech Network and launch workstreams to scale up existing initiatives that are aimed to unlock the massive potential digital technologies hold for more effective public services and for creating new public value. GovTech may become one of the largest software markets in years to come and drive significant productivity gains for those countries that manage to implement and scale global best practices."
GovTech, expected to emerge as one of the largest software markets, holds the potential for substantial productivity gains, particularly for countries implementing and scaling global best practices.
"With its first federal start-up strategy as well as its digital strategy, the federal government is keen to strengthen the GovTech scene in order to modernize government and public administration," said Robert Habeck, Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action of Germany.
He added, "The Global Government Technology Centre will have a direct impact on high-priority government initiatives, for example, in bringing forward AI solutions for the public sector. This strong collaboration between start-ups and government can be crucial in developing and testing democracy-compliant AI solutions. And it will offer German start-ups further business cases in the GovTech field."
The centre will leverage the expertise and network of the GovTech Campus Deutschland and the Forum's global communities, fostering multistakeholder collaboration and technological infrastructure for accelerated digital transformation.
Positioned to drive change both at the national and international levels, the GGTC Berlin aims to accelerate the digital transformation of governments and enhance ecosystem value.
Kai Wegner, Governing Mayor of Berlin, expressed the city's enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, "This partnership between the World Economic Forum and GovTech Campus Deutschland is of great importance for Berlin as a location for innovation and fits perfectly with our city's modernization agenda. It also shows that Berlin is and remains an attractive location for internationally active organizations - not only in a national but also an international comparison."
The Global Government Technology Centre in Berlin is part of the World Economic Forum's Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) Network, reinforcing the commitment to harnessing technological benefits while minimizing associated risks on a global scale.
The network includes centres across the world, each dedicated to advancing collaborative efforts for the betterment of society through technology.