GovTech News and Headlines
GovTech News and Headlines
GovTech Pulse
EMAIL DIGESTS
Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
EMAIL DIGESTS
Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
Jordan’s Central Bank issued a directive on Feb 16, 2026 that the Sanad mobile app’s digital identity credential is now legally equivalent to physical ID documents for banking transactions. The mandate applies to every bank in the kingdom, obligating them to accept Sanad for KYC, account opening and in‑branch verification. The decision removes the last regulatory barrier to the app’s use in financial services, building on Sanad’s recent remote‑activation feature and its role in national elections. It positions Jordan alongside a growing list of jurisdictions that recognize government‑issued mobile IDs in regulated sectors.
Sri Lanka is set to appoint a Master System Integrator (MSI) for its Unified Digital Identity (SL‑UDI) program by the end of March 2026. Five Indian tech giants—Infosys, TCS, Protean e‑Gov, RailTel and Bharat Electronics—have been pre‑qualified and entered the techno‑commercial...
Seville’s CartujaQanat project revives 3,000‑year‑old qanat aqueducts to provide low‑energy cooling for public spaces. By chilling water underground at night and circulating it through pipes and misting systems, indoor temperatures drop up to 12 °C during summer peaks. The €5 million EU‑funded...
Coram has secured a multi‑year statewide contract with the Educational Cooperative Purchasing Alliance (ECPA) and the Central Indiana Educational Service Center to provide AI‑driven integrated security solutions across Indiana’s schools, government facilities, and non‑profits. The agreement allows eligible institutions to...
The General Services Administration (GSA) announced the first round of Alliant 3 awards, naming 43 contractors with a plan to select up to 76 firms. Alliant 3, a 10‑year, unlimited‑ceiling vehicle, replaces the $83 billion‑sized Alliant 2 contract and targets a broad...
Elon Musk's X has filed a legal challenge against a €120 million fine imposed by the European Commission under the Digital Services Act. The penalty, issued in December, alleges breaches of transparency obligations and deceptive design of the platform’s blue verification...
Huawei’s Code4Mzansi developer competition has launched in South Africa, inviting university students, start‑ups and small‑business founders to build cloud‑first solutions. Partnering with the Department of Small Business Development and local universities, the programme offers access to Huawei Cloud tools, mentorship...
Ukraine’s National Bank temporarily shut down its online collectible‑coin store after a cyberattack compromised customer registration data. Attackers accessed personal details such as names, phone numbers, email and delivery addresses through a contractor that supports the storefront, but no financial...
The Environment Agency (EA) is boosting its waste‑crime enforcement with a £5 million budget increase, expanding its fleet of 33 drones and fitting several with lidar laser‑mapping technology. Since July last year the agency logged 272 drone flight hours, using the...
The European Commission released its inaugural Annual Interoperability Report, reviewing the first year of the Interoperable Europe Act that took effect in April 2024. The document highlights the creation of the Interoperable Europe Board, Community, and an enhanced portal that...
The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies commissioned an investigation into ZADNA’s credit‑card spending, uncovering over R1 million in expenses for travel, entertainment and luxury vehicle rentals during the 2024/25 fiscal year. The report identified policy gaps, weak oversight and excessive...
Serbia’s public broadcaster ETV has chosen German firm Rohde & Schwarz to install the country’s first 5G Broadcast transmitter at its Avala site, complementing four new TH1 4.5 kW DVB‑T2 transmitters. The upgrade, part of a long‑standing partnership dating back to 2012, aims...
Delhi’s BSES Rajdhani Power Limited unveiled a Digital Twin of its power distribution network at the AI Impact Summit 2026. The AI‑driven platform creates a real‑time, map‑like view of the Janakpuri grid by fusing SCADA, GIS, IoT sensors, SAP and...
Westfield, Massachusetts partnered with Siemens to retrofit 18 municipal and school buildings, avoiding demolition of historic structures. The $40 million program focused on replacing aging steam boilers, installing high‑efficiency HVAC, and deploying a city‑wide energy management system. Upgrades cost $14 million for...
Former Congressman Thaddeus McCotter is urging Congress to pass the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, a bipartisan bill that would require new vehicles to retain functional AM receivers. He argues that AM radio offers a privacy‑friendly, data‑free listening option...
Traffickers are exploiting artificial intelligence, digital platforms and generative AI to scale sexual exploitation, financial sextortion and online scams targeting women and children. The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime reports 162 nationalities trafficked to 128 countries, with a 77%...
Boston’s Office of Emerging Technology has launched the Curb Lab, a cross‑department effort that uses artificial intelligence and open‑data assets to produce a live, citywide digital map of curb‑side parking rules. The initiative builds on a three‑year asset‑management platform and...
Old Mutual’s Group Chief Technology and Data Officer Dhesen Ramsamy will speak at the ITWeb AI Summit 2026 on April 22. He will argue that robust data governance and sovereignty are prerequisites for trustworthy, high‑performing AI. Ramsamy highlights South Africa’s...
Dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) was demonstrated in South Africa’s KwaZulu‑Natal region, delivering 5G speeds up to 200 Mbit/s over more than 4 km in both Ntuzuma and Ixopo. The trials, led by regulator Icasa, CSIR and local Wisps, proved that the 3.8‑4.2 GHz...
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced his support for state legislation that would bar users under 16 from accessing major social‑media platforms, echoing Australia’s recent age‑gating rule. The governor’s stance comes as a bipartisan group of lawmakers pushes a bill that...
University of Bristol engineer Dr. Jiayang Li has created a smart shoe insole equipped with 253 micro‑sensors that map pressure and gait in real time. The device consumes only 100 microwatts, enabling up to three months of operation on a...
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has launched a final public consultation on proposals to make electronic identification (EID) tags mandatory for all newborn cattle in Northern Ireland. The consultation, closing on 23 February 2026, asks stakeholders to comment...
Universal license recognition (ULR) lets professionals keep their state licenses when they move, eliminating redundant testing and paperwork. The article argues that the same competence‑based model should be extended to foreign‑trained workers, whose credentials are often stalled by rigid “substantial...
Hakuhodo Bangkok unveiled the “Quick Click. Life Slick.” campaign to promote the Provincial Electricity Authority’s new digital hub, PEA Sabuy Service, which bundles five electricity‑related functions into a single online portal. The effort uses humor and the Thai notion of...
The Mandarin Live: Future Ready Public Service – Queensland convenes senior leaders on 27‑28 May 2026 in Brisbane and online. The two‑day strategic forum will explore resilient systems, modern governance, and delivery at scale as Queensland prepares for the 2032 Olympics and...
GovGurus Episode 16, hosted by J. Richard Jones and featuring Lori Turnbull, examined two fast‑moving Ottawa storylines. Janice Charette was announced as Canada’s chief negotiator for the next Canada‑U.S. CUSMA talks, joining newly appointed ambassador Mark Wiseman in Washington. The episode also unpacked a wave...
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has launched an early‑stage market engagement to explore generative AI voice technology for government call centres, branding the initiative as a potential "GOV Voice" platform. The department seeks suppliers who can demonstrate...
At the recent Future of Education Technology Conference, SETDA executive director Julia Fallon warned that the expiration of pandemic‑era emergency relief is forcing K‑12 districts to shift from crisis‑driven spending to sustainable ed‑tech modernization. She highlighted the need to rethink...
Azerbaijan announced a five‑line tram system for Baku, targeting completion by 2030. The first line will run from the city’s northern outskirts to the May 28 metro station, with an open tender for design and construction expected by the end of...
Federal agencies are increasingly turning to Security as a Service (SECaaS) to maintain cyber defenses amid staffing cuts and the recent shutdown. The Navy, VA, Energy, Justice and Homeland Security rely on FedRAMP‑authorized AWS and Azure tools such as GuardDuty,...
Chiplet technology is reshaping semiconductor design by allowing modular, mix‑and‑match silicon components, accelerating AI data‑center and autonomous‑vehicle development. However, the distributed manufacturing model creates new supply‑chain vulnerabilities, as a single compromised chiplet can introduce hardware Trojans that affect entire systems....
Minister Josephine Teo highlighted Singapore’s strategy to shape global AI governance through science, multilateral cooperation, and substantial funding. The city‑state has pledged S$1 billion to a National AI R&D Plan and created a Digital Trust Centre, AI Safety Institute, and an...
Meriden, Connecticut, temporarily shut down its municipal internet and public Wi‑Fi after detecting an attempted cyber disruption. The city’s IT department isolated the network within minutes, limiting impact to non‑essential municipal operations while emergency services remained functional. Police have opened...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has signed a five‑year blanket purchase agreement with Palantir Technologies worth up to $1 billion. The deal lets agencies such as Customs and Border Protection, ICE, FEMA and CISA tap Palantir’s Gotham and Foundry platforms...
.jpg?height=635&t=1771641756&width=1200)
Etihad Rail Mobility, a joint venture of Etihad Rail and Keolis, awarded the first design‑and‑build contracts for the UAE’s $8 billion, 150‑km high‑speed rail linking Abu Dhabi and Dubai, slated for completion by 2030. The Abu Dhabi section will be built by a...
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is championing the Broadcast Positioning System (BPS) as a resilient alternative to GPS, citing growing concerns over satellite signal vulnerability. Sam Matheny joined the effort as BPS Executive Vice President at the start of...
Leidos CEO Tom Bell said the firm will act as the government’s beta tester for artificial intelligence, embedding AI across its NorthStar 2030 strategy and digital modernization unit. The company plans to prototype AI tools internally before delivering them to...
NASA’s $60 billion SEWP VI IT contract excluded five vendors, prompting protests filed with the Government Accountability Office. The GAO must issue rulings by May 27, a timeline that could push award announcements past the current SEWP V deadline of April 30. Delays may force...
Australian Defence Science and Technology Group is deliberately igniting prototype lithium‑ion cells to understand failure modes and accelerate development of sovereign, fast‑charging batteries. The research targets military‑grade power solutions for radios, drones, armoured vehicles, future aircraft and Attack‑class submarines. By...
Florida Senate advanced a sweeping AI Bill of Rights, adding education provisions that require schools to notify parents before granting AI tool access and to honor opt‑out requests. The bill defines "AI instructional tools" as a separate regulatory category and...
Australian Taxation Office second commissioner Jeremy Hirschhorn warns regulators that AI adoption must respect citizen dignity. He highlights the tension between moving quickly to harness AI benefits and the risk of exposing massive personal data sets. The ATO, a pioneer...
The UK Post Office has awarded Accenture a £54 million, competition‑free contract to manage its back‑office IT services from April 2026 through June 2029. The deal covers finance, ERP, HR, process automation and application modernisation across more than 11,500 branches, but excludes the...
HHS is intensifying its focus on third‑party vendor security after the 2024 Change Healthcare ransomware attack, which exploited a remote‑access portal lacking multifactor authentication and exposed the data of about 190 million individuals. The breach threatened the liquidity of the entire...
The Office of the National Cyber Director announced that the Trump administration will accelerate the deployment of AI-driven cyber defensive tools while safeguarding against expanded attack surfaces. Principal Deputy Assistant Cyber Director Alexandra Seymour said the effort will be coordinated...
The Apolitical platform, together with the National Academy of Public Administration and Humans of Public Service, launched the inaugural “50 States, 50 Breakthroughs” showcase, honoring innovative projects from every U.S. state, D.C., Guam and Puerto Rico. Recognized initiatives span AI‑driven...
California’s Public Utilities Commission awarded AVX Networks a $37.5 million grant to deploy submarine fiber‑optic cable linking Catalina Island to Huntington Beach. The funding will enable high‑speed broadband for more than 3,500 island residents, bolstering telehealth, remote education, and local businesses....
Britain’s Labour government is under growing pressure over its contracts with U.S. data‑analytics firm Palantir, which include a £330 million NHS platform and a £240 million defence deal awarded without competition. Critics cite the company’s founder Peter Thiel, its work with ICE, and...
Federal agencies are rapidly integrating artificial intelligence, prompting heightened focus on securing the underlying data and systems. Zscaler’s Federal Field CTO Chad Tetreault outlined the evolving AI threat landscape, highlighting supply‑chain vulnerabilities, data‑poisoning, prompt‑injection, and emerging agentic AI risks. He...
The UK Court of Appeal upheld the Information Commissioner’s Office decision to fine Currys Group Ltd (formerly DSG Retail) £500,000 for failing to protect personal data after a 2017‑18 cyber‑attack. The ruling confirms that organisations must safeguard all personal data,...
The proliferation of consumer and enterprise IoT devices continues unchecked, yet most lack basic security controls such as passwords and encryption. Research presented by Mattia Epifani at RSAC 2026 shows that devices—from Amazon Echo to smart refrigerators—store unprotected audio, credentials, and personal...
