AI4PA: digital innovation hub supporting Public Administration and SMEs in the transition to AI

AI4PA Portugal EDIH (Artificial Intelligence and Data Science for Public Administration) is a European Digital Innovation Hub dedicated to promoting the digital transformation of Public Administration and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through the application of Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, and other emerging technologies.

Built on a collaborative network of partners specialised in digital government, AI4PA's mission is to support the modernisation of public organisations, contributing to more effective public policies, more efficient services, and governance that is more data-driven and innovation-oriented.

What an EDIH is and why it matters

European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) are collaborative networks that bring together centres of expertise in advanced digital technologies. Their objective is to support businesses, particularly SMEs, and Public Administration bodies in experimenting with, adopting, and integrating innovative digital solutions.

In Portugal, AI4PA is simultaneously part of the National Digital Innovation Hubs Network and the European Digital Innovation Hubs Network, reinforcing the link between national innovation and the European digital ecosystem.

Six strategic objectives for the digital transition

AI4PA carries out its activities on the basis of six strategic objectives, aligned with the Digital Transition Action Plan:

• Applying Artificial Intelligence to improve and optimise public policies;

• Increasing the quality of public services provided to citizens and businesses;

• Assessing the social, legal, and ethical impacts of digital technologies;

• Strengthening the digital skills of public bodies and SMEs;

• Promoting good practices and reusable technological solutions, both nationally and internationally;

• Improving digital transition governance models, at different levels of public intervention.

What AI4PA offers

AI4PA's value proposition is built on four key areas of intervention:

• Test before you invest: Support for the experimentation and validation of digital technologies, enabling organisations to test solutions before committing to investment.

• Skills development and training: Qualification programmes focused on the development of digital skills, with an emphasis on AI, data, and public innovation.

• Access to funding: Support in identifying national and European funding instruments for digital transformation projects.

• Connecting needs with solutions: Acting as a facilitator between Public Administration bodies and technology companies, including startups and SMEs, that provide ready-to-implement solutions.

A national consortium of 19 organisations

AI4PA Portugal brings together 19 organisations distributed across the country, representing academia, research, the public sector, and the business community. The consortium is coordinated by ARTE and includes universities, research centres, central, regional, and local public administration bodies, business associations, and innovation centres, among them ISCTE, NOVA IMS, the municipalities of Viseu and Sintra, CoLABOR, ESRI Portugal, MORE CoLAB, and UNU-EGOV.

Preparing today's Public Administration for tomorrow

In a context where digital transformation is no longer optional, AI4PA positions itself as a strategic partner for accelerating the responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Portugal.