As governments worldwide grapple with rising complexity, shrinking and ageing workforces, and accelerating technological change, the demand for smarter governance has never been higher. This session bridges the gap between today’s urgent demand for data-driven political leadership and the emerging reality of the Agentic State—a government that uses AI not just to automate tasks, but to actively sense, decide, and coordinate, in order to deliver results, not just empty promises. 

From global regional comparisons to deep-dive case studies, we will explore how leaders are harnessing analytics to drive political innovation and transparency. We will then pivot to the frontier of GovTech, examining how these data foundations enable semi-autonomous administrative workflows and real-time governance. Featuring insights from Anastasia Kalinina (Restate Foundation) and Manuel Kilian (Global GovTech Centre), this session provides a realistic roadmap for moving from aspiration to implementation while safeguarding democratic legitimacy.