Building a Roadmap for Sustainable Innovation in Public Services

We’re developing a Roadmap for Sustainable Innovation in Public Services. Our roadmap brings together research, real-world examples, and hands-on experience to create a practical guide for public sector innovation. The roadmap will be available in three practical formats: a hackathon manual, a handbook, and a hybrid training course—empowering public service providers to navigate and implement sustainable innovation. Our approach is based on three key components that are presented further. 

1.Understanding the landscape: literature review and survey

A literature review was conducted in the autumn of 2024, providing insights to create a successful questionnaire. We designed the data collection process for each participating country – Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland – in the study to capture a diverse range of opinions and experiences related to public sector innovation. We discovered:

• Innovation Momentum – over 100 recent innovations, many of which will be featured in our upcoming handbook and training course.
• Creativity exists but needs nurturing – organizations rated their innovation effectiveness at 6.2 out of 10, highlighting room for improvement.
• Structural Gaps – less than one-third of organizations have a dedicated innovation role, highlighting a need for stronger internal support structures.
• Technology Adoption – while 16% are already using AI and immersive tech, 43% are interested but require guidance and funding.
• Communication Strategies – Websites, newsletters, and social media dominate as communication channels, but more interactive methods could improve public engagement.

• Future potential – Respondents see AI and emerging technologies revolutionizing education, training, urban planning, and infrastructure, though knowledge gaps and funding constraints remain.

To get familiar with the entire output check the link: https://interreg-baltic.eu/project/3i-solutions-for-ps/#output-0  

These findings have already informed discussions at the ISPIM conference in Tallinn, where our research contributed to shaping the conversation on public sector innovation. https://interreg-baltic.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Paper_LUT_Innovations-in-Small-cities-toward-the-handbook-for-life-changers_with-interreg-logo.pdf 

2.Learning from experience: smart city innovations: CITYA! – AI-powered solutions for Radom & Smiltene

As part of our Roadmap for Sustainable Innovation in Public Services, we are exploring real-world examples of AI-driven transformation in smart cities. Our case studies focus on two forward-thinking municipalities—Radom (Poland) and Smiltene (Latvia)—that are pioneering inclusive, transparent, and citizen-centric AI solutions. By learning from these real-world cases, we aim to provide actionable insights for other cities seeking to implement AI-powered public services. 

CITYA! is an AI-powered platform for modern cities that offers tools for organising participatory budgeting and other citizen engagement campaigns, as well as features to share city information with tourists, guiding them to points of interest and services.

Long-term consequences for Public Services include further potential outputs:

• Smarter Decision-Making – AI-powered insights help cities allocate resources more effectively.
• Increased Civic Engagement – AI bridges the gap between citizens and policymakers.
• Enhanced Urban Experience – Personalized services improve tourism and everyday city life.
• Scalability & Replication – the platform is adaptable for other cities for their innovation efforts.

“CITYA! DEMO HOUR: Piloting Smart City Solutions” webinar summary and recordings are here: https://interreg-baltic.eu/project-posts/3i-solutions-for-ps/follow-up-after-demo-day/  

3.Bridging Public Services with High-Tech – Lessons from the Hack the Future Hackathon

As part of our mission to foster sustainable innovation in public services, we organized the Hack the Future Hackathon in Kaunas, Lithuania (October 24-25, 2024). This event, held at Tech-Park Kaunas, brought together tech enthusiasts, innovators, and public service representatives from Lithuania, Finland, Latvia, and Poland to bridge the gap between public service providers and high-tech innovators, fostering solutions that are citizen-centric, sustainable, and impactful. To ensure that real needs were addressed, we launched a call for public sector challenges across the Baltic Sea Region, gathering 13 pressing issues in areas such as smart cities and mobility, sustainability and environmental protection, public engagement and inclusion, security and governance transparency. One of the significant outcomes of the Hackathon is that the best ideas are now being developed further with support from public institutions. As Tech-Park Kaunas expert Irma Bagdonienė highlighted:

“In a short time, teams not only tested the technological reliability of their ideas but also considered the user experience and long-term impact on public services.”

Hackathons are a powerful tool for public sector innovation – but a structured approach is key. We documented every step of this process and are preparing a comprehensive guide for public service providers. This guide will be available soon, providing practical advice, best practices, and actionable insights for fostering public-private tech collaboration.

To get familiar with the entire output check the link: https://interreg-baltic.eu/project/3i-solutions-for-ps/#output-1 

Read more about “Hack the Future: 24h Brain Activity for Public Sector Solutions” https://interreg-baltic.eu/project-posts/3i-solutions-for-ps/hack-the-future-24h-brain-activity-for-public-sector-solutions/ 

What comes next?

A Hybrid Training Course is being finalized with interactive learning materials for public service innovators. It provides a practical reference for public sector professionals on how to make innovation happen and adopt reactive practices.

This roadmap is designed to equip governments, municipalities, and public institutions with the tools they need to implement sustainable, citizen-focused innovations. Stay tuned for more useful outputs and opportunities for collaboration!

Programme Manual Online

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