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Innovation

Data foundations for government

From AI ambition to action

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In 2025, governments around the world are adopting AI to boost efficiency while delivering citizen-centric services, driving economic growth, and fostering innovation. But do they also have the necessary data foundations in place to achieve their goals?

The Capgemini Research Institute’s report, Data foundations for government: From AI ambition to action, explores the public sector’s readiness today to realize the potential of its data estate – to improve decision-making, efficiency, and effectiveness – but also to harness AI to transform the future of government.

Key insights include:

  • Most public sector organizations are already exploring or actively working on Gen AI initiatives, and 90% are planning to explore, pilot, or implement agentic AI in the next two to three years.
  • To harness AI’s transformative power, governments need strong data foundations that ensure data availability, accessibility, quality, and governance, along with a scalable data infrastructure. Yet, fewer than 25% report high maturity in any aspect of data readiness, while only one-third of public sector organizations qualify as frontrunners in building data readiness.
  • All public sector organizations we surveyed either have or plan to have data sharing initiatives, which are crucial to addressing complex, interconnected societal issues. However, the majority (65%) are still in the planning or pilot stages, and only 35% have rolled out or fully deployed data sharing initiatives.
  • The majority of public sector organizations have concerns about sovereignty related to data (64% of organizations), cloud (58%), and AI (52%), highlighting their need to maintain agency and control in the digital sphere as they build their data and AI capabilities.

The report findings are based on a global survey of executives from 350 public sector organizations in countries across North America, Europe, APAC, and the Middle East. The survey included government agencies at national, state, local, and international levels, covering public administration, tax and customs, welfare, defense, security, and healthcare.

Data foundations for government: From AI ambition to action provides leaders of government organizations, and the growing number of CDOs and CAIOs in public sector organizations, with a roadmap to bridging the gap between AI ambitions and data readiness. To learn more about how the transformative power of AI is reshaping government operations, download the Data foundations for government: From AI ambition to action report today.

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Meet our experts

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Marc Reinhardt

Executive Vice President, Public Sector Global Industry Leader
“We are proud to be a leading partner to public sector organizations globally, supporting mission-critical systems that touch the lives of millions of citizens and users every day. While developing the next generation of citizen-centric, inclusive public services, we are also enabling organizations to transform to tackle the most important challenges our societies face. As we look to the 2030 targets of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, it’s clear that technology is a tool for achieving better outcomes, and that societal purpose should be a driving force behind the sector’s use of digital to perform and transform.”
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Dr. Philipp Fuerst

VP Data-Driven Government & Offer Leader, Global Public Sector
“Government CIOs and IT experts barely need convincing of the benefits of interoperability. What has been missing is explicit guidance on the necessary non-technical requirements. The Interoperable Europe Act helps with exactly that. What’s more, with a critical mass of collaborators, individual public sector agencies will find that their investments into interoperable and sharable solutions will result in much bigger returns.”
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Debarati Ganguly

Director, Data & AI – Global Public Sector
Debarati is a seasoned expert in Data-Driven Government, specializing in data ecosystems, governance, and AI-driven analytics for the public sector worldwide. She collaborates with leaders and AI specialists to drive strategic initiatives, ensuring ethical, sovereign, and anonymized data solutions. Her expertise helps governments and citizens unlock the true value of data, enhancing decision-making, service delivery, and overall public benefit through AI and Generative AI innovations.
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Peter Kraemer

Director Data Sovereignty Solutions, Capgemini
“A European data economy based on openness, fairness and transparency is possible, and we are determined to help make it a reality. In a flourishing data economy, all sectors will have new ways to generate value. Sovereignty means making independent and well-informed decisions about our digital interactions: where data is stored, how it is processed, and who can access it. Data spaces make these principles concrete, and we are committed to helping them grow.”
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Liz Henderson

Executive advisor, Capgemini
I am an experienced leader in digital, data, and AI, dedicated to empowering organisations unlock the full potential of their data. By fostering a culture of Capability, Confidence, and Curiosity, to drive improved decision-making, innovation, and competitiveness—ultimately leading to greater success and growth. With my strong background in advising on transformation initiatives, I work closely with leadership teams to develop data strategies that recognise data as a valuable asset. These strategies are aligned with business objectives, enabling organisations to leverage their data for strategic success. Recognised as a leader in the data industry, I am known for my strategic acumen, innovative thinking, and ability to navigate complex challenges. My global experience spans Europe, Asia, and the Americas, and I am respected for delivering long-term solutions that create lasting value.

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