Public sector fintech moves up a gear as Dublin hosts fourth Global Government Fintech Lab
Financial technology’s ‘transformative potential’ for public sector transformation has been hailed at Global Government Fintech Lab 2025.
The Lab, which was held on 11 June, in Ireland’s capital Dublin, is a one-day gathering for public servants and fintech suppliers focused on the use of digital technologies in fields such as government finance, government payments and financial supervision.
“In striving to develop world-class public services, I see the transformative potential that fintech can have in delivering for citizens,” Ireland’s minister for public expenditure, infrastructure, public service reform and digitalisation, Jack Chambers, told the audience in the keynote address.
Chambers, who leads the newly renamed Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, highlighted the contribution that fintech, and financial services more broadly, has made to the European Union (EU) member state’s economy, and the importance of public-private collaboration.
Chambers, who is deputy leader of Fianna Fáil, said the “government must lead and exemplify the adoption and fully embrace the digital and artificial intelligence revolution”, saying that “the evidence is clear that governments with strong digital government models are more likely to drive economic growth and prosperity.”
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International insights
The Lab was taking place for the fourth time after the inaugural event in Estonia in 2022 and the 2023 and 2024 events, which were both also held in Dublin.
Speakers from nations including Germany, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Switzerland and the UK, as well as the host nation, took part in sessions focused on the fintech-related opportunities and challenges facing central government, agencies and other public authorities.
Three panel discussions – ‘Governments and fintech: comfortable bedfellows?’, ‘Government finance: which (fin)technologies have the most potential?’, ‘Super supervisors? How well are financial regulators engaging with innovative technology? – were held during the morning.
The afternoon saw panel discussions on ‘Progressing payments: government money and digital disbursements’, ‘Who goes there? Exploring digital ID schemes and fintech-enabled innovation’ and ‘Clearing the hurdles: treading a path to a “government fintech” world’.
The event also featured a sponsored fireside chat with Tristan Thoma, expert in residence – national digital currency and infrastructure at Buen Crypto Consulting; a fireside chat with Gillian Phelan, Central Bank of Ireland head of division – digital euro unit; and a presentation from Lee Edmonds, commercial deputy director – financial services at the UK’s Crown Commercial Service (CCS) on ‘Government procurement of fintech solutions: a perspective from the UK’.
‘From-the-coalface’ insights
“Minister Chambers’ keynote set a fantastic tone for an event that has again delivered unique ‘from-the-coalface’ insights on digital finance trends intertwined with perspectives on non-fintech-specific topics such as trust in government and the ins and outs of public sector procurement,” said Global Government Fintech editor Ian Hall.
“As with our three previous Labs, it’s been fascinating to hear the latest perspectives from different countries about how public sector authorities are structuring themselves to engage with innovation, specifically their appetite and ability to capitalise on the latest financial technologies,” he added.
Global Government FIntech Lab was organised in partnership with Ireland’s Department of Finance and held at the Market Floor – the original trading floor of the Irish Stock Exchange – EURONEXT in central Dublin.
The Lab’s 2025 knowledge partners were Microsoft, TSO, Workday, Kainos and Visa.
Session reports are already in production and you can also check out perspectives on the day by searching online using the hashtag #GGFintechLab.
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