Seeing through the hype: what potential does the metaverse hold for governments?
The metaverse is a virtual-reality space in which people can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users. Tech giants are increasingly interested in building technology for interacting with virtual worlds – a trend best epitomised by Facebook’s rebrand in 2021 as Meta to reflect its metaverse ambitions.
Governments are increasingly investigating – and investing in – its possibilities, seeking to create digital clones in the virtual world.
For example, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced in 2021 that it will establish a metaverse platform, proposing a gradual rollout of different services. The South Korean capital’s municipal government plans to consecutively provide business support facilities and services, including the Virtual Mayor’s Office and Seoul Fintech Lab.
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Dubai’s metaverse strategy, launched in July 2022, aims to turn Dubai into one of the world’s top 10 ‘metaverse economies’ as well as a global hub for the metaverse community. Developing ‘Web3’ technology and its applications to create ‘new governmental work models’ is among the ambitions.
This Global Government Fintech/Global Government Forum webinar will seek to ask:
- Are public authorities right to be exploring the metaverse?
- What are the biggest opportunities for the delivery of citizen services?
- What needs to happen for public authorities to be best able to tap these opportunities?
#GovMetaverse
Public servants can register here for free to attend this webinar
Time
USA/Canada Eastern Time (EST): 09:30 – 10:45
Greenwich Mean Time (BST): 14:30 – 15:45
Central European Time (CEST): 15:30 – 16:45
Eastern European Time (EEST): 16:30 – 17:45
Singapore Time (SGT): 22:30 – 23:45
Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST): 01:30 – 02:45
Panel
Webinar chair: Siobhan Benita, former UK senior civil servant
Siobhan Benita was a senior civil servant with over 15 years’ Whitehall experience. She worked in many of the major delivery departments, including Transport, Environment, Health and Local Government. She also had senior roles at the heart of Government in the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury, including supporting the then Cabinet Secretary, Lord O’Donnell to lead work on Civil Service reform and strategy. Siobhan left the Civil Service to run as an independent candidate in the Mayor of London election. She subsequently joined her alma mater, Warwick University as Chief Strategy Officer of Warwick in London and Co-Director of the Warwick Policy Lab.
