The digital transformation of public administration is no longer a topic for the future – it is an urgent necessity. GovTech start-ups play a central role in this: they provide innovative solutions that help local authorities and government bodies to work more efficiently, make services more citizen-friendly and make effective use of new technologies.

Whether it’s automated processes, data-driven decisions or AI-powered analytics – the approaches are diverse. The aim is always to improve administrative processes and deploy resources more effectively. For local authorities with limited capacity in particular, GovTech solutions offer the opportunity to make rapid and pragmatic progress.

From concept to reality

However, the path from innovation to practical implementation is often fraught with challenges. Diverse requirements, complex structures and regulatory hurdles can delay implementation. Typical challenges include:

• Complex procurement procedures that slow down innovation

• Limited human and financial resources in local authorities

• Legal and data protection requirements, particularly when deploying new technologies such as AI

• A lack of interfaces and IT infrastructure, which makes the integration of new solutions difficult

• Cultural barriers and change processes within the administration

This makes concrete practical examples all the more important, as they demonstrate how collaboration can succeed.

Case study: SummAI and the town of Nettetal

One such example is the collaboration between the GovTech start-up SummAI and the town of Nettetal. As part of a pilot project – embedded within the Federal Ministry for Digitalisation and State Modernisation’s Agentic AI Hub – the initiative is exploring how artificial intelligence can help identify potential savings and opportunities for optimisation in administrative processes. Initial findings show that the use of innovative technologies can not only deliver efficiency gains but also open up new perspectives for administrative modernisation.

We will demonstrate exactly how this transfer works in an exclusive webinar in the run-up to the Smart Country Convention 2026

Register now for free!

In this free webinar, Flora Geske (founder and CEO of SummAI), together with Felix Marquardt (Administrative Transformation Coordinator) and Nick Bartsch (E-Government Project Manager) from the City of Nettetal, will provide insights into their joint pilot project as part of the Federal Ministry for Digitalisation and State Modernisation’s Agentic AI Hub.

Webinar: Making GovTech accessible to local authorities

Date: Wednesday, 29 April 2026

Time: 10:00 – 11:00

Click here to register.