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The new lab is supposed to help find solutions for the move towards digitalisation in the public services sector says Marc Hansen 

A joint intiative of the ministry of digitalisation and its technological arm, the Government IT centre, the new lab is supposed to “combine GovTech and open innovation to accelerate the development and improvement of digital public services,” the government said in a statement.

GovTech refers to the development and use of tech solutions in order to foster digital transformation in the public sector and hence improve the quality of services available to individuals as well as businesses.

“One of the strategic areas of focus of the ministry concerns the development of eGovernment solutions and the GovTech Lab will be an essential tool in this field,” Hansen said during the launch via videoconference. “The key words of the Lab can be summed up like this: experiment, exchange, innovate.”

In order to provide innovative solutions for public services, the GovTech Lab is calling on experiences and ideas from outside the state by consulting with startups, freelancers, companies, researchers and the like to help with the lab’s three main missions, namely: 

1)    Advancing innovation at State level through calls for solutions and challenges 

2)    Creating a GovTech community through specialised events 

3)    Becoming a point of reference for state employees with an interest in GovTech

“Bye Bye Robots!” 

Hansen also used the opportunity to launch GovTech Lab’s first call for solutions dubbed “Bye Bye Robots!”. This is centred around solutions that enable differentiating between computers and humans when undertaking online procedures with the Luxembourg state. The final solution is supposed to replace the current CTIE system that checks whether online procedures are carried out by humans rather than automatic robots. 

Applications for easy, innovative and appealing solutions can be made until 4 January 2021 through the Gov Tech Lab’s website or the public procurement portal.