NOVA University Lisbon has announced the creation of a Policy Transfer Office, a new structure to support the transition of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science projects from the pilot stage to implementation in the Public Administration and other sectors.
The announcement was made at the event “AI in the Public Sector: Review and Outlook”, organised by APDC and NOVA, held at NOVA’s Rectory this Wednesday, the 28th. The event brought together academia, the Public Administration, companies and decision-makers to discuss the current state of play and the next challenges for AI in government.
According to the Rector, this new Policy Transfer Office will be an independent space, initially based at the University but “closely connected” to the Public Administration, the Government, regulators and other entities: “A unique structure in the world where Artificial Intelligence and Data Science models are validated on a scientific basis, ensuring that they can be safely applied in public policy and deployed at scale.”
“With this initiative, NOVA aims to strengthen its role as a bridge between research and public policy,” Paulo Pereira, Rector of the Universidade NOVA de Lisboa.
In his closing remarks, NOVA’s Rector, Paulo Pereira, also argued that AI is already a reality in how the public sector makes decisions and serves citizens and businesses, while warning of the risks of deploying technology without appropriate governance. “Technology, without knowledge, without adequate structures and without institutional responsibility, can be—and often is—dangerous,” he said, stressing that trust must rest on research, processes and institutions capable of assessing impacts.
The initiative aims to reduce the gap between what is technically possible and what can be implemented in an ethical, transparent and responsible way, while also strengthening collaboration between the University and the State. “Universities are the main sources of knowledge and provide training and technological tools that help us better understand the world we live in and navigate its multiple complexities. But universities are also spaces capable of creating what does not yet exist and of anticipating the future,” he noted, adding that “with the launch of the Policy Transfer Office, NOVA aims to strengthen its role as a bridge between research and public policy.”
The conference also highlighted challenges that condition the expansion of AI in the public sector, such as the balance between transparency and privacy, the continuity of projects and the sharing of knowledge.
“We have to put citizens and businesses at the heart of the State’s action and make life simpler for them,” Gonçalo Matias, Minister Adjunct and for State Reform.
The event also included the Government’s perspective on administrative modernisation. The Minister Adjunct and for State Reform, Gonçalo Matias, underlined that State reform requires placing users at the centre and changing practices to ensure interoperability and the circulation of information.
“We have to put citizens and businesses at the heart of the State’s action and make life simpler for them,” he said, arguing that the transformation is as much cultural and organisational as it is technological. “Our reform is built on two fundamental pillars: simplification and digitalisation,” he added. “Our approach is to simplify first and then digitalise. But let me tell you that our view is that it is not worth digitalising what is complex, outdated and does not work. We are also doing this process re-engineering work, looking at processes that were designed 40 or 50 years ago and that make no sense to keep today.”
