Strategic Innovation Advisor, Giulio Quaggiotto, shares insights on the future of public sector innovation during the Festival of Innovation (FOI) 2024, urging a shift towards value-driven approaches and balanced AI adoption.
Giulio Quaggiotto, Strategic Innovation Advisor at UAE Prime Minister Office, addressed the future of public sector innovation in a video interview with GovInsider during the Festival of Innovation (FOI) 2024 held in April. He emphasized the shift from rapidly adopting technology to a more thoughtful approach focused on public value co-created by governments and citizens.
Quaggiotto highlighted the importance of questioning the real value of artificial intelligence (AI) in government applications, particularly concerning inclusivity and understanding societal impacts. He noted that moving fast and breaking things hasn’t always yielded positive results in the public sector.
Drawing from his global experience and past roles, including leading UNDP’s Strategic Innovation unit and affiliations with multilateral organizations like WWF and the World Bank, Quaggiotto champions a balanced approach to AI adoption—one that fosters innovation without negative repercussions.
He likened true government transformation to a “moonshot,” suggesting it should be ambitious and paradigm-shifting, rather than incremental. He cited examples like a Rwandan university redesigning curriculums around societal missions to better align skills with local contexts.
In Indonesia, an innovation unit has adopted irreversibility as a design principle to ensure long-term direction and sustained value in public sector projects, despite frequent changes in government personnel and policies.
For further insights, Quaggiotto’s discussions are featured in panels such as “Public Sector Renewal: Charting the Future Amid Global Challenges” and “Future of Innovations: Lean Labs or Whole-of-Government Transformation?”
