30th September 2025
30th September 2025
Successful visit to Singapore
Birna Íris Jónsdóttir, CEO of Digital Iceland, recently participated in the Digital Gov Exchange (DGX) in Singapore. This is one of the largest events attended by leaders in digital public administration to learn about developments and priorities in the field.
The Digital Gov Exchange (DGX) took place in Singapore from September 8-10, 2025.
"This was a very informative meeting. It is useful to see how far other countries have come in their digital development and to hear about their current priorities and challenges. It was also enjoyable to get confirmation of how far we have come in an international comparison; we have stories to tell that others can and want to learn from. Meetings of this kind strengthen cooperation and exchange of ideas and valuable experience," says Birna Íris.
Leading nations
Representatives of countries that are leaders in the public sector’s digital journey are invited to the meeting, and among the participants were representatives from Australia, Canada, China, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom, as well as representatives from the World Bank, which, among other things, invests in and supports technological development in the world’s poorest countries.
Lessons from Iceland
At the meeting, Birna Íris gave a presentation where she shared Iceland’s success in digital development and spoke about Digital Iceland’s projects, the benefits of digital processes, Iceland's framework agreement arrangement for digital projects, and important investment in technology and change management. Birna’s presentation was well received, and many participants requested further conversation and information.
Solutions in trying times
Many interesting points came up when participants shared their knowledge and experiences. Ukraine’s presentation, for example, dealt with digital development in times of war; while most countries focus on their digital sovereignty by hosting data and/or data backups within their own jurisdiction, Ukraine considers digital sovereignty by hosting data outside the country due to the cyber threats at home.
Singapore’s future district
The meeting concluded with a visit to Punggol Digital District (PDD), a 50-hectare future district in Singapore where universities, various companies, and diverse services have been built. The district is intended to become a hub of innovation and development in the country, with a particular focus on automation. Various integrated smart solutions were and are developed and programmed in parallel with the district’s construction. Facial scanners are widely used for personal identification in the area, and there are even plans for payments for goods and services to be carried out automatically through them. Green spaces are plentiful, including on rooftops and building façades, and car traffic is not allowed.
Further information on the Digital Gov Exchange can be found on the Gov Tech Singapore website.
