Ireland hosts public sector pioneers in Dublin for third Fintech Lab

Last week, public sector fintech experts from nations including Austria, Bermuda, Denmark, India, Italy, Latvia, Slovenia, Spain and the UK gathered in Dublin for the Global Government Fintech Lab 2024.

The Lab – organised by Global Government Forum’s sister title Global Government Fintech – is a one-day gathering for public servants and fintech suppliers interested in exploring the possibilities of technology to transform their public sector operations and the services they deliver.

Ireland’s minister of state with responsibility for financial services, Neale Richmond, kicked off the 25 April event with a keynote speech highlighting the European Union (EU) member state’s commitment to encouraging financial services and digital finance.

Richmond was appointed to his role just a couple of weeks ago, making the Global Government Fintech Lab his first formal public remarks on the topic of fintech.

“It is clear that the wider digital transition we are experiencing will continue to gather pace. While this provides significant opportunities for the private sector, I believe that it’s also true in the public sector,” Richmond told the audience at the event, which was held at Dublin Castle’s Printworks venue. “We in government are absolutely committed to making the most of the potential that digital finance has to offer.”

Read more: Irish minister hails fintech’s public sector opportunities at Lab 2024 in Dublin

‘Fantastic first-hand insight’

The Lab was taking place for the third time after the inaugural event in Estonia in 2022 and the 2023 event, which was also held in Dublin.

The conference, which was organised alongside Ireland’s Department of Finance and supported by knowledge partners Microsoft and ClearBank, featured panel discussions and breakout sessions focused on fintech-related opportunities and challenges for those working in central government, agencies and other public authorities.

Three panel discussions – ‘Governments and fintech: on the right path?’, ‘Governments and the future of finance’, and ‘Financial regulators and innovative technology’ – were held during the morning, as well as a short session on keeping track of EU fintech regulation.

Sessions followed in the afternoon on ‘Public sector financial innovation through payments technology’ and ‘Fighting financial fraud with technology’, as well as a fireside chat on ‘Public sector finance – shared service innovation’ with Ireland’s National Shared Services Office chief executive Bernie Kelly.

“Engagement with innovative financial technology in the public sector is an emerging and exciting agenda,” said Global Government Fintech editor Ian Hall.

“The breadth of discussions, like with our first two Labs, provided fantastic first-hand insight – from the coalface – on how different countries and authorities are approaching the opportunities and challenges. It’s been wonderful to welcome so many new speakers and participants from across Europe and beyond, as well as to see again people who we brought together for the first two Labs.”