Follow-up of the Seminar: Innovative Tech-Driven Services – from Idea to Implementation

12 June 2025, Smiltene Secondary School, Smiltene, Latvia

On 12 June 2025, public service professionals from across the Baltic Sea Region gathered in Smiltene, Latvia, for the final seminar of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region project “3I Solutions for Public Services”. Held at Smiltene Secondary School, the event brought together experts, municipal representatives, and innovation leaders to explore how technology and co-creation can transform local public services.

Purpose and Context

As the “3I Solutions for PS” project nears its completion in July 2025, this seminar served as a culminating event to:

• Present and evaluate project results.

• Showcase new tools, including a training course, handbook, and CityA! digital platform.

• Share local and regional experiences with innovation in public services.

Led by LUT University (Finland), the project has developed a practical, interactive course to support innovation in small and mid-sized municipalities. The event also featured demonstrations of innovative technologies and presentations from Latvian stakeholders who are advancing digital transformation in their communities.

Keynote Contributions and Sessions

Moderated by Mārtiņš Ulāns (on-site) and Iulduz Khairullina (online), the seminar offered a blend of academic insight and practical experience.

Presentations included:

• Creativity and How to Find Ideas, by Professor Leonid Chechurin (LUT University)

• Explore the Course for Public Service Innovators, by Katriin Vannik (LUT University)

• Handbook for Public Service Innovators: How to Make Innovation Happen in Small Cities in the Baltic Sea Region, by Sepideh Kasiri (LUT University)

Latvian public sector innovations were presented in:

• Innovation and Digital Solutions Projects in the Vidzeme Planning Region, by Ieva Kreile

• Innovations and Digitalisation of Services in Liepāja Municipality, by Linda Alksne

• Robotics – Creative Thinking and Technology: Essential Skills for Future Professions, by Una Reķe

Highlights

One of the key outcomes of the seminar was the launch of the training course for public service innovators, now publicly available through the CEPHEI platform. The course provides a practical framework and set of tools for initiating, managing, and embedding innovation in public services.

Another highlight was the live demonstration of CITYA!, a digital tool developed by Ar-Go Lab Oy in collaboration with project partners. The CITYA! platform enables cities to offer user-oriented tourism and city navigation services. In Smiltene, attendees tested CITYA! features in real-world settings, including point-of-interest guidance and technology-enhanced cycling infrastructure.

Feedback from CITYA! users in Smiltene was highly positive:

• “CITYA! helped us plan our visit and discover what to see and where to eat.”

• “Even if the location is new, with CITYA! you can’t get lost.”

• “It reveals the city’s hidden gems better than any traditional map service or website.”

Such reactions validate the usefulness of co-designed tools and confirm that digital public services can be engaging, inclusive, and locally relevant.

Reflections from Partners

The seminar also served as a reflection point for project partners. Tech-Park Kaunas, participating alongside municipalities from Lithuania, noted that

“Innovation in the public sector is not just about efficiency and speed – it’s about improved service accessibility, greater societal impact, and empowering everyone.”

This sentiment was echoed across contributions: that public services must keep pace with fast-changing societal needs and that innovation is most impactful when designed with users at the center.

Looking Ahead

As the project concludes, the following resources and next steps are available to all interested public service professionals and municipalities:

• Course for Public Service Innovators
  Available at: https://learn.cephei.eu/courses/course-v1:CEPHEI+3ISolutions+2025/about

• Project Handbook
  A practical guide for small and mid-sized municipalities on how to implement innovation sustainably with set of cases.

• CITYA! platform
  Available at: https://citya.link/citya/ 

Conclusion

The Smiltene seminar affirmed the importance of collaborative innovation in public services. It demonstrated that even smaller municipalities can lead with creative and effective digital solutions when empowered with the right tools, partners, and mindset.

The 3I Solutions for PS project has demonstrated that innovation is not an abstract concept but a tangible process—one that can and should occur everywhere, benefiting all citizens.

For those who missed the event or wish to revisit any part of the discussion, the recording of the seminar is available here: https://youtu.be/WmUReCMXnBU

We invite cities, municipalities, and public professionals to join us in continuing to build smarter, more inclusive, and citizen-focused public services.

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