At the most recent EUPAN (European Public Administration Network) Working Level Meeting, held under the Danish EUPAN Presidency, Gerhard Hammerschmid, presented the preliminary findings of a major EU-wide study on digital public infrastructure and IT management.
The research was conducted jointly by the Danish Agency for Public Finance and Management and the Centre for Digital Governance at Hertie School. It focuses on how European governments govern and coordinate IT projects, systems, and digital public infrastructure across ministries and agencies. With responses from 36 countries, it provides timely insights into the institutional and strategic mechanisms that underpin effective digital governance in the public sector.
From 29 September through 1 October, the meeting brought together representatives from nearly 40 European countries, facilitating an important exchange of ideas and experiences. Several aspects of the Danish model sparked particular interest for Germany’s own digital agenda, offering valuable lessons and potential synergies for Germany’s Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and State Modernisation, especially in the areas of strategic coordination, cross-ministerial digital governance, and the effective use of AI in public administration.
This dialogue directly feeds into the Hertie School’s Initiative for an Effective State (Staatsreform), where Hammerschmid serves as Academic Director. The initiative supports state modernisation and innovation in Germany. By identifying practical, comparative approaches from across Europe, the study contributes valuable knowledge to ongoing reform efforts and the development of a more agile, digital-ready state.
The final results of the study will be presented at the upcoming EUPAN Directors General Meeting on 1–2 December 2025.