As always, after attending the European Social Services Conference 2026 (ESSC), we'd like to share a few ideas and reflections that stayed with us. Let's start with the one that resonated the most.
- Someone has already solved the problem you're working on.
When you're building digital public services, it's easy to believe that your challenges are unique. But ESSC 2026 reminded us once again that, regardless of the country, most teams are trying to answer the same fundamental questions:
- How can we make public services simpler for people?
- How can we shorten the user's journey to the desired outcome?
- How can we use AI in a way that genuinely helps people?
The most interesting part is that many of these answers already exist.Someone has already tested a new approach. Someone has already made mistakes and learned from them. Someone has already measured the results and knows what works—and what remains just a promising idea.
That's why international collaboration is not about copying someone else's solutions. It's about learning from one another, adapting proven practices to local realities, and moving forward much faster.
- Technology shouldn't replace people. It should give them back their time.
Almost every discussion at ESSC eventually came back to artificial intelligence. But the key question wasn't:
"How can we replace people?"
It was:"How can we free people from routine work?"
Social workers, contact centre advisors, and frontline service professionals should spend their time where it matters most—not searching for information or repeating the same answers over and over again, but dealing with situations that require experience, empathy, and human judgement.
Technology should never distance public services from people. On the contrary, it should create more time for meaningful human interaction.
- AI shouldn't respond faster. It should help more accurately.
Today, almost anyone can build a chatbot. But the real value of AI isn't measured by how quickly it responds.
Its real value lies in understanding context.
If a person has already submitted an application, AI should suggest checking its status. If they're eligible for a service, it should proactively inform them. If an issue can be resolved without visiting a public office, it should help them do it online.
Speed is no longer the main competitive advantage.
The future belongs to services that help people take the right next step.
This is exactly why we participate in the European Social Services Conference every year.
Because the best ideas don't emerge when everyone works in isolation. They emerge when countries, teams, and experts openly share their experiences and learn from one another.
