Factors influencing the development of GovTech in France and Germany : a realist review

This study analyses the factors influencing the development of GovTech in Germany and France between 2017 and 2022. GovTech stands for Government Technology and defines the close cooperation between the state and innovative startups to develop innovative solutions for public sector organisations. The factors promoting and impeding its development are examined in an exploratory way using the realist review method. The following research question guides this study: What are the factors influencing the development of GovTech in France and Germany between 2017 and 2022? The relevance of the thesis lies within the recency of the phenomenon, which has not yet been captured by academia but is very present in public administration practice. Due to the novelty of the GovTech phenomenon and associated data issues, the research strategy had to be adapted along the way. The study showed that factors such as the ‘procurement framework’, the ‘technical access to the state’ or ‘meetup opportunities for startups/SMEs and the state’ influence the development of GovTech. Further research on this topic could investigate the development of GovTech in other regions or remediate the faced issue once the data is available. Finally, recommendations for practitioners to help develop GovTech are derived from the findings.