After successfully running a first GovTech lab, one question inevitably arises: How do you consolidate GovTech innovation within an institution?
Here, we focus on the role of innovation communities in deploying a GovTech innovation management system designed to solve real problems—those that affect the daily lives of citizens and public servants—quickly, measurably, and using existing technology from specialized providers, all with an impact-centered approach.

Once the fit, methodology, and value of a GovTech lab have been validated, the next step is to evolve toward a broader GovTech innovation system: a structured model that consistently supports the definition of challenges, the identification of available technological solutions, the piloting of those solutions in real contexts, and the integration of the most valuable ones into public services.
This is where innovation communities become critical.

We’d like to share what we’ve learned from working side by side with more than eleven GovTech labs over the past three years.

What is a GovTech innovation community?

Let’s start with a community of practice. According to organizational design expert Emily Webber, it is “a group of people connected by a shared passion for something they actively practice, and who grow collectively as they interact on a regular basis.”

Communities of practice help organizations thrive by creating environments where people can support one another, build capabilities, connect knowledge, scale approaches that work, and continuously improve practices. In essence, they create shared spaces to learn by doing, exchange experiences, and strengthen a culture of ongoing improvement.

How does this translate to GovTech? To deploy a model that systematically identifies challenges, pilots solutions with startups, and scales the ones with the greatest impact, an isolated innovation team nudging departments to participate simply isn’t enough. You need a network of specialists inside each area—people who understand their services’ digitalization needs, have the judgment to assess technological solutions, can oversee pilot tests, and can support the integration of the most successful ones into existing systems.

A strong example is the Centre for Telecommunications and Information Technologies (CTTI) of the Government of Catalonia. Each department—health, education, justice, and others—has an IT unit responsible for its technological projects. From within these teams, people interested in innovation were selected to form the INNOTICs network, a community of practice dedicated to identifying needs and innovation opportunities and coordinating with CTTI’s Innovation Directorate to find solutions, pilot them, and scale them.
This network has become one of the pillars of CTTI’s GovTech innovation model, which drives around 100 innovation projects each year with both traditional providers and emerging companies.

We’re now seeing similar approaches in city councils, provincial councils, and public agencies building their own technical communities: IT units staffed with specialists dedicated to technology—and increasingly, innovation—projects. Evolving these roles into an innovation community that actively participates in a GovTech innovation system is a natural and highly viable next step.

A community does not replace the lab or the innovation team—it complements them. It is the network that enables the system to function beyond a single project or isolated call for proposals.

What ingredients make a GovTech innovation community work?

Three key elements:

After three years—and especially through our collaboration with the Government of Catalonia—we’ve seen up close what truly makes an innovation community thrive. Goodwill, solid structure, and a well-designed process aren’t enough; you also need a shared direction and the right ingredients to fuel energy, learning, and connection.

1. Capability development

“Capabilities” refer not only to what individuals know, but also to the resources the organization provides. The term captures the blend of skills and tools that enable people to act.

On one side are knowledge and skills, strengthened through specialized training—for example, in innovation methodologies, challenge design, or the use of emerging technologies.
On the other side are resources: clear processes, shared tools, accessible documentation, and testing environments where people can experiment safely.

2. Spaces for connection and collective learning

No community survives without regular interaction. Meeting spaces are the heartbeat of a community: they allow teams to share progress, compare lessons, and identify overlaps between areas facing similar challenges. When similar use cases are being piloted in different departments or the same technology is being tested in more than one context, these spaces make it possible to determine what works best and how to scale a common solution across the organization.

Documentation is just as important as sharing. If insights aren’t captured, they disappear. Common tools and formats to record learnings and decisions turn each team’s experience into organizational knowledge and ensure that every new project starts from a stronger baseline.

3. Belonging and recognition

The third ingredient is a sense of belonging. Members of an innovation community need to feel that their contributions matter and are visible within the organization. Recognizing their work, highlighting achievements, and inviting them to share their experiences at events or in publications fosters pride and motivation. This recognition not only empowers individuals—it also legitimizes innovation as a natural part of how the institution operates.

In short, communities thrive when they combine learning, connection, and a shared purpose. They form the foundation that keeps a GovTech innovation system alive over time, turning one-off experimentation into a sustained institutional practice.

Innovation communities are not a standalone solution; they are one part of the system that allows GovTech innovation to take root. Open procurement policies, communication strategies that highlight the value created, and evaluation systems that enable learning and course correction are also essential. But if we’ve learned anything in recent years, it’s that without a culture of innovation, no innovation system holds up—no matter how well designed it may be.