On December 16, the Neàpolis Auditorium in Vilanova i la Geltrú hosted the conference “GovTech in the territory: local innovation at the service of citizens“, organized by the Digital Catalonia Alliance (DCA). The event was a key meeting point to discuss how technology can transform public services from the proximity of city councils.
The director of the AOC, Miquel Estape, participated in the round table on the future of digital services and the role of advanced technologies, sharing debate with experts such as Andreu Francisco (Localret), Josep Miquel Salgado (Barcelona Provincial Council), Ester Manzano (Generalitat de Catalunya) and Rosa Paradell (i2CAT).
Digitizing is not transforming
Although Catalonia is a benchmark in digital administration —with most local entities using shared services—, Estapé issued a clear warning: there is still little real transformationMany processes remain inefficient and the current model is not very sustainable.
The future demands a cooperative digital government that focuses on interoperability and automation to free up human resources that can focus on citizen care.
Three levers for change
The AOC, which already manages more than 3 million daily procedures for 2.250 public entities, proposes three areas of action:
- More common and shared platforms: Consolidate common Data and AI services. Automation and chatbots must be accompanied by transparència algorithmic to generate trust.
- Advanced digital identity: Adapting to the new regulation eIDAS2 to offer a menueres inclusive and secure digital systems, following benchmarks such as the Ukrainian model.
- Network collaboration: Create an ecosystem where local governments share solutions and avoid duplicating efforts.
The innovation roadmap: listen, design and measure
For 2026, the absolute priority must be to put the citizen at the center. The AOC applies a method based onempathy and user-centered design: listening to real needs, co-creating services with beneficiaries and measuring results with satisfaction and efficiency indicators.
The technology is here; the challenge now is governance and inter-institutional collaborationTo overcome obstacleseres legal and the lack of specialized talent, a shared digital strategy is needed.
