FreeBalance operates in a market that few people are familiar with but which presents significant challenges: the modernisation of public finance management systems in developing and emerging economies. The company provides solutions for budget management, civil service payroll, public accounting and fiscal reporting to governments in dozens of countries around the world.
Manuel Schiappa Pietra leads this company with the conviction that technology can bring about measurable change in public governance – not only by speeding up procedures, but also by reducing corruption, increasing fiscal transparency and improving the quality of public services. His personal background – spanning technical education and international management – gives him a rare level of credibility on these issues.
The integration of AI into public finance systems is one of the most complex and potentially transformative areas of govtech. Predictive models can improve the accuracy of budget forecasts. Automation can reduce errors in payroll or procurement processes. Data analysis can detect anomalies suggestive of fraud or waste long before they can be identified by human auditors.
$29trn to be found
The global macroeconomic context further exacerbates this issue. According to the OECD, governments and businesses are expected to raise nearly $29trn on the markets by 2026, in an environment characterised by rising refinancing costs and record budgetary requirements. Against this backdrop, tools capable of automating, forecasting and auditing public finances are gradually becoming strategic infrastructure for governments.
At Nexus Luxembourg 2026, Manuel Schiappa Pietra will speak on 10 June at 4pm on the Horizon Stage as part of a panel discussion on ‘Tech Diplomacy in the Age of AI and Global Competition’, alongside Minister Tawfik Jelassi, Rachel Adams and Ayumi Moore Aoki, among others. A fitting role for a leader whose work lies precisely at the intersection of technology, public governance and digital sovereignty.
For Luxembourg – home to the European Court of Auditors, the European Investment Bank and several EU agencies specialising in public finance – the FreeBalance initiative is of direct relevance. The standards developed to modernise public finance in developing countries often align with the concerns of European institutions: transparency, efficiency, auditability and resistance to corruption.
In many countries, the issue is no longer simply one of administrative digitalisation, but of control over critical financial infrastructure itself: budgetary data, public payment systems, taxation, auditing and real-time expenditure management. This issue takes on particular significance in Europe, as debates on digital sovereignty are gradually extending to cover essential public infrastructure.
PPPs in the service of… sovereignty
Manuel Schiappa Pietra is also expected to address the issue of knowledge transfer between the private and public sectors in the field of AI at Nexus. Private tech companies are developing advanced analytical and predictive capabilities that governments struggle to replicate in-house. How can these partnerships be structured in such a way as to preserve states’ decision-making sovereignty whilst benefiting from private-sector innovation? This is a fundamental question for democracies.
The rise of AI is also transforming public finance management into a question of technological capability. Governments capable of integrating predictive models into their budgetary systems will potentially have a structural advantage when it comes to anticipating fiscal risks, detecting anomalies and allocating resources.
His experience in countries with fragile institutions also gives him insight into the resilience of public digital systems in the face of crises: cyberattacks, political upheaval and natural disasters. Robustness is not an option when it comes to managing a state’s finances – it is an absolute necessity.
Beyond public financial management, FreeBalance is also part of a broader trend: that of government digital platforms capable of integrating budget data, digital identity, taxation and administrative services into unified architectures. This has become a strategic issue as governments seek to modernise their critical infrastructure without increasing their dependence on major foreign technology providers.
Practical. Nexus Luxembourg 2026 – 10 and 11 June at Luxexpo The Box, Luxembourg-Kirchberg. Tickets available from €250 excluding VAT (standard rate). Book your place at .