On 10 September 2025, a member of our digital infrastructure team attended Building the Smarter State in London. This annual event is techUK’s flagship public services conference—a key gathering for over 200 senior leaders and decision-makers from across government and industry. It’s where the public sector’s digital future is discussed, shaped, and showcased.
Turning vision into action
This year’s theme—“From Blueprint to Brilliance”—captured a strong sentiment across digital professionals working with or in the public sector: the urgent need to move from strategy to delivery. The public sector faces a once-in-a-generation opportunity to use digital and data to:
– revolutionise operational efficiency,
– enable better collaboration, and
– create services that meet citizens’ needs.
Panels and sessions covered a broad sweep of issues, including:
– international best practice,
– data-led transformation,
– digital infrastructure,
– skills and workforce development,
– security and governance,
– building public trust, and
– the role of partnerships.
Spotlight on cloud and legacy IT
A key recommendation from Access Partnership’s report, The UK’s Digital and Data Opportunity, reinforced the need to accelerate cloud migration. Secure, future-ready, and AI-capable infrastructure is essential if the UK is to unlock the value of its vast public sector datasets.
But to get there, government must decommission legacy IT systems. The risks and costs are mounting:
– As of January 2024, 43 critical-risk legacy systems remain in use.
– On average, 28% of central government technology is still legacy.
– In some police forces, that figure rises to 70%.
Given the government’s relatively narrow definition of legacy systems, the true picture may be even worse.
Access Partnership’s further recommendations include:
– replacing end-of-life hardware and unsupported software,
– modernising procurement models, and
– shifting to value-based approaches that prioritise trust, quality, and long-term relationships—not just cost savings.
Another eye opener from the event was the differences in approach to digital infrastructure strategy between highly-praised international best practice:
Learning from global leaders
| Country | Approach Type | Governance Features | Infrastructure Features |
| Denmark | Governance-led | Central coordination; national-local strategy; ethical, inclusive design; strong interoperability standards | Shared citizen platforms (MitID, Digital Post); public sector cloud; secure, sovereign infrastructure |
| South Korea | Tech-led | National strategy focused on innovation and competitiveness; strong public-private collaboration | Nationwide 5G; AI supercomputers; quantum/cybersecurity infrastructure; national cloud and data sharing |
| United Kingdom | Policy-led | Strategy via GDS/DSIT; Blueprint for Modern Digital Government; focus on standards and inclusion | Shared platforms (One Login, Notify, Pay); cloud-native; zero-trust cybersecurity; planned rollout to local authorities |
Denmark: citizen-centric boldness
We heard from Netcompany, who led Denmark’s transformation. Their first reform was for communications, introducing a single digital mailbox for all citizens and companies. This was a sea change, with a digital-only communication method decisively implemented, with an opt-out option, and by Q3 2023, 5.17 million citizens were subscribed.
This move created:
– a unified citizen experience,
– better data insights, and
– consistent processes across government.
Most importantly, citizens found it easy to use. Denmark’s citizen-first and digital-only approach shows the power of decisive action from the centre. Read the full case study here.
South Korea: tech innovation and fiscal stimulus
South Korea’s Data Dam project, launched in 2020 as part of the Digital New Deal, exemplifies a tech-led approach. By pooling data from public and private networks for AI-powered applications, the project has:
– created 24,000 jobs,
– engaged over 1,100 institutions, and
– spurred innovation across industries.
Domestic giants like Samsung, LG, and SK were key partners among the 1,100 institutions incorporated into the delivery plan. This demonstrates how national infrastructure projects can serve as both innovation accelerators and economic stimulus. Read more here.
United Kingdom: policy in practice
The UK’s strategy is more policy-driven, with progress often tied to specific funded programmes. One notable success was Manchester’s CityVerve smart city project, which demonstrated the commercial viability of IoT for improving services—such as real-time bus departure information.
What can local teams do?
While these national strategies set direction, local digital infrastructure teams face a practical question: what’s actually within our power to change?
The answer lies in two areas where local action can have real impact:
1. Interoperability
2. Shared platforms
Interoperability
Interoperability means different systems, platforms, and devices can seamlessly communicate and exchange data. For digital infrastructure, this ensures fibre, cloud, IoT, and mobile systems work together.
Why it matters: It drives efficiency, scalability, collaboration, innovation, and inclusion.
Case studies:
– The GigaHubs Project
– The England’s Connected Heartland 5G Railway project
Both show the benefits of multi-vendor collaboration, modular design, and community-focused access.
Shared Platforms
Shared platforms allow multiple organisations to use the same digital tools and infrastructure.
Why it matters: They deliver efficiency, reduce duplication, lower costs, and enable innovation at scale.
Case study:
Oxfordshire County Council is now developing a Digital Places Platform—a shared digital twin for mobile coverage.
Final reflections
The Creating the Smarter State conference highlighted a clear message:
– Denmark shows the power of central decisiveness.
– South Korea shows the impact of tech-led innovation.
– The UK must turn strategy into delivery.
At the local level, the opportunities may be narrower—but they are no less vital. By focusing on interoperability and shared platforms, councils and local teams can help lay the foundations of a smarter state that is not only brilliant in blueprint, but transformative in practice.
View our Smart County interactive map to see our vision for Oxfordshire.