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In an age of smart services, data-driven insights and artificial intelligence, public sector organisations have a variety of new tools at their disposal. Councils can now predict service demand, automate form-filling and prioritise resources — all in real time. But with this growing power comes a critical challenge: maintaining public trust.
As the UK government and local authorities push ahead with digital transformation, trust has quietly become the corner stone of a smarter state. Without it, innovation stalls. Data remains unused or siloed. Promising technologies provoke suspicion rather than progress.
Trust isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’ — it’s a necessary enabler. And as recent history has unfortunately shown, it can easily be lost.
The public sector’s adoption of data and AI hasn’t always gone smoothly. In the last few years, high-profile failures — from algorithmic grading in education to inaccessible decision-making tools in social services — have eroded confidence in how public bodies use technology.
Even well-intentioned initiatives can generate unease. Facial recognition pilots in policing, predictive analytics in welfare, and smart city surveillance programmes have all faced pushback from communities. People are concerned, sometimes even suspicious: Who benefits from the insight? What happens when the machine gets it wrong?
The smarter the state becomes, the more vital it is to design for transparency, fairness and inclusion from the outset.
Building a smarter state doesn’t just mean more tech. It means building public legitimacy into the way services are designed, data is used, and decisions are made.
Designing for trust means:
It’s not just about complying with legal standards, like the Data Use and Access Act 2025. It’s about earning and sustaining the support and trust of the populace to operate in the digital era.
When citizens trust public institutions, they are more likely to engage with the system, share their data, use digital services, and accept AI-assisted decisions. Trust creates the conditions for scaling innovation, especially in sensitive areas like health, social care, housing, and criminal justice.
Several examples show what’s possible:
These are encouraging signs — but for the smarter state to take root, this approach needs to become the rule, not the exception.
Ethical principles must move from the boardroom to operational reality. This means:
Trust comes not just from doing the right thing, but from being seen to do it — consistently, transparently, and accountably.
Smart services must be shaped with, not just for, the communities they serve. This includes:
When people feel heard, they're more likely to engage. When they shape the rules, they’re more likely to trust the system.
Public understanding of AI and data remains low — and often shaped by sensationalist and dystopian media narratives. The public sector must take responsibility for:
Smart communication is just as important as smart technology.
Public trust is not something that IT teams or digital departments can deliver in isolation. It must be championed by leaders at every level — elected officials, chief executives, commissioners and heads of service.
It means creating cultures of ethical curiosity, where questions about bias, inclusion, or harm are welcomed — not dismissed as blockers.
It means rewarding teams that build things responsibly, with care, not just speed.
As the government invests in AI, automation and digital services, it must not lose sight of the human foundation that underpins them all: trust.
A smarter state isn’t just more efficient — it’s judged and measure by engagement by being more transparent, inclusive and responsive. It listens as well as acts. It earns its legitimacy every day.
This is not a constraint on innovation. It’s the key to unlocking it.
Because if citizens don’t trust the systems they’re offered, they won’t use them. And no amount of data science can fix that.
Let’s build a smarter state that earns — and deserves — the trust of every citizen it serves.
Welcome to Building the Smarter State Week 2025 running from the 8-12 September!
Building the Smarter State is techUK’s flagship public services conference and the go-to event for public sector digital leaders.
This new report commissioned by techUK’s Public Services Board and written by Henham Strategy presents a strategic assessment of digital procurement across government and makes the case for a fundamental shift in funding for digital services.
techUK drives public sector digital transformation by uniting the public sector and tech industry. Through early market engagement, efficient procurement, and innovative technology adoption, we help to modernise legacy IT, and enable efficient, secure, and personalised services.
Get involved: We run a busy calendar of activity including events, reports, and insights that demonstrate some of the most significant digital transformation opportunities for the sector. Our Transforming Public Services Hub is where you will find details of all upcoming activities. We also send a monthly public services newsletter to which you can subscribe here.
Sign-up to get the latest updates and opportunities from our Central Government programme.
Associate Director, Local Public Services, techUK
Associate Director, Local Public Services, techUK
Georgina is techUK’s Associate Director for Local Public Services
Georgina works with suppliers that are active or looking to break into the market as well as with local public services to create the conditions for meaningful transformation. techUK regularly bring together local public services and supplier community to horizon scan and explore how the technologies of today and tomorrow can help solve some of the most pressing problems our communities face and improve outcomes for our people and places.
Prior to techUK, Georgina worked for a public policy events company where she managed the policy briefing division and was responsible for generating new ideas for events that would add value to the public sector. Georgina worked across a number of portfolios from education, criminal justice, and health but had a particular interest in public sector transformation and technology. Georgina also led on developing relationships across central and local government.
If you’d like to learn more about techUK, or want to get involved, get in touch.
Associate Director, Central Government and Education, techUK
Associate Director, Central Government and Education, techUK
Heather is Associate Director, Central Government and Education at techUK, working to represent the tech supplier community to Central Government.
She started as Head of Central Government at techUK in April 2022 and was promoted to Associate Director in August 2025 supporting both the Central Government and Education programmes.
Prior to joining techUK in April 2022, Heather worked in the Economic Policy and Small States Section at the Commonwealth Secretariat. She led the organisation’s FinTech programme and worked to create an enabling environment for developing countries to take advantage of the socio-economic benefits of FinTech.
Before moving to the UK, Heather worked at the Office of the Prime Minister of The Bahamas and the Central Bank of The Bahamas.
Heather holds a Graduate Diploma in Law from BPP, a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from LSE, and a BA in Economics and Sociology from Macalester College.
Associate Director, Defence and National Security, techUK
Associate Director, Defence and National Security, techUK
Fred is responsible for techUK's activities across the Defence and National Security sectors, working to provide members with access to key stakeholders across the Defence and National Security community. Before taking on the role of Associate Director for Defence and National Security, Fred joined techUK in 2018, working as the Programme Head for Defence at techUK, leading the organisation's engagement with the Ministry of Defence. Before joining techUK, he worked at ADS, the national trade association representing Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space companies in the UK.
Fred is responsible for techUK’s market engagement and policy development activities across the Defence and National Security sectors, working closely with various organisations within the Ministry of Defence, and across the wider National Security and Intelligence community. Fred works closely with many techUK member companies that have an interest in these sectors, and is responsible for the activities of techUK's senior Defence & Security Board. Working closely with techUK's Programme Head for Cyber Security, Fred oversees a broad range of activities for techUK members.
Outside of work, Fred's interests include football (a Watford FC fan) and skiing.
Programme Manager, Education and EdTech, techUK
Programme Manager, Education and EdTech, techUK
Austin leads techUK’s Education and EdTech programme, shaping strategies that support the digital transformation of schools, colleges, and universities. His work focuses on strengthening the UK’s education technology ecosystem, enhancing core technology foundations, and advancing the adoption of emerging technologies to improve educational outcomes.
Austin also chairs the EdTech Advisory Panel for AI in Education, contributing to national discussions on the future of EdTech, AI, and the UK's Education system.
Head of Health & Social Care, techUK
Head of Health & Social Care, techUK
Robert joined techUK in October 2022, where he is now Programme Manager for Health and Social Care.
Robert previously worked at the Pension Protection Fund, within the policy and public affairs team. Prior to this, he worked at the Scottish Parliament, advising politicians and industry stakeholders on a wide range of issues, including rural crime and health policies.
Robert has a degree in Politics and International Relations (MA Hons) from the University of Aberdeen, with a particular focus on strategic studies and energy security. Outside of work he enjoys activities such as running, rugby, boxing and cooking!
Senior Programme Manager, techUK
Senior Programme Manager, techUK
Raya Tsolova is a Programme Manager at techUK.
Prior to joining techUK, Raya worked in Business Development for an expert network firm within the institutional investment space. Before this Raya spent a year in industry working for a tech start-up in London as part of their Growth team which included the formation and development of a 'Let's Talk Tech' podcast and involvement in London Tech Week.
Raya has a degree in Politics and International Relations (Bsc Hons) from the University of Bath where she focused primarily on national security and counter-terrorism policies, centreing research on female-led terrorism and specific approaches to justice there.
Outside of work, Raya's interests include baking, spin classes and true-crime Netflix shows!
Programme Manager - Justice & Emergency Services, techUK
Programme Manager - Justice & Emergency Services, techUK
Cinzia joined techUK in August 2023 as the Justice and Emergency Services (JES) Programme Manager.
The JES programme represents suppliers, championing their interests in the blue light and criminal justice markets, whether they are established entities or newcomers seeking to establish their presence.
Prior to joining techUK, Cinzia worked in the third and public sectors, managing projects related to international trade and social inclusion.
Our members develop strong networks, build meaningful partnerships and grow their businesses as we all work together to create a thriving environment where industry, government and stakeholders come together to realise the positive outcomes tech can deliver.