The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published a new report examining how innovation ecosystems are driving citizen participation through emerging technologies in Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands. The study explores how governments, social enterprises, academic institutions, and the civil society collaborate to create inclusive, transparent, and participatory governance models using digital tools.  

Despite increasing public demand for participation, challenges such as fragmented initiatives, limited public sector capacity, and digital exclusion persist. The report identifies local governments as key drivers of innovation because of their direct engagement with communities, their ability to fund initiatives, and their role in creating experimentation spaces and setting strategic priorities However, stronger national policies, clearer standards, and better cross-sector collaboration are needed to scale these initiatives.

Key findings from the three countries:

• Portugal: Local governments lead innovation, but participation remains limited by digital divides and a lack of sustained funding. Initiatives like participatory budgeting and blockchain-powered civic platforms offer scalable models.
• Spain: A highly decentralised system fosters strong citizen participation at the local level, but national coordination is weak. Successful models like Decidim and Consul Democracy open-source participation platforms have been replicated globally.
• Netherlands: A public-private-academic collaboration model fuels innovation, yet private sector dominance risks excluding marginalised voices. Municipalities play a strong role in testing and scaling participatory tools.

Policy recommendations

The OECD recommends that governments develop national strategies to guide the use of emerging technologies for citizen participation while ensuring stronger digital inclusion efforts to prevent inequalities in access. Investing in cross-sector collaboration, particularly between social enterprises, civil society, and policymakers, can help scale participatory technologies more effectively. Additionally, sustained funding mechanisms are essential to support long-term innovation in citizen engagement, reducing reliance on short-term or fragmented initiatives.

Conclusion

This report highlights the transformative potential of innovation ecosystems in making governance more participatory, transparent, and inclusive. However, scaling these efforts requires coordinated national strategies, investment in digital equity, and stronger connections between local and global initiatives.

For a deeper dive into the findings, read the full report here.