Oscar Romero

On September 2nd, 2021, from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm (CEST), the HPI School of Design Thinking and the Global Design Thinking Alliance hosted the virtual Global Design Thinking Conference 2021. Together with 800 participants from 68 countries and 28 speakers we discussed how public administration can become more digital, human-centered and innovative.

In a world that is being reshaped by digital transformation, societies are becoming increasingly complex and fast-paced at the local, national and global levels. In this context, public institutions are facing increasing pressure from citizens to provide relevant information and services in a more efficient, user-friendly, and cost-effective manner.

To keep up with these developments, the public sector needs to accelerate and streamline administrative processes, work more effectively, and expedite decision-making. But how does the digitization of administrative processes make governments more innovative and human-centered?

To discuss this and related questions, this year’s Global Design Thinking Conference became a one-day virtual Policy Innovation Lab with contributions from around the world. We brought together experts on local and global transformation to showcase and discuss cutting-edge innovations in the public sector.

In keynotes and panels, we discussed the role of public sector innovation labs, theorized how the public sector can collaborate across institutions, build strategic partnerships with industry, and create spaces that facilitate the application of innovation methodologies.