NEWS

Twelve local governments in Uruguay join CIIAR to promote the responsible use of artificial intelligence

From Red de Innovación Local (RIL), together with BID Lab, we are announcing the first local governments in Uruguay that will take part in the Cities for Responsible Artificial Intelligence program (CIIAR Uruguay). The initiative is developed within the framework of GovTech Connect, a regional program led by BID Lab and implemented by RIL, with Gobe Ventures participating as a technical partner.

CIIAR Uruguay aims to support local governments in strengthening their capacities to incorporate artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies in an ethical and responsible way, focused on improving public management and the services provided to citizens.

A space for learning and collaboration among governments

The program creates a collaborative working space for local governments to advance the strategic adoption of new technologies. Through peer exchange, training activities, and technical support, the initiative seeks to help government teams identify priority challenges, explore technological solutions, and develop projects with an impact on public management.

The initiative is part of a regional strategy aimed at strengthening the capacities of departmental and municipal governments to innovate in their public policies and take advantage of the opportunities offered by emerging technologies.

Strong participation in the call

The call in Uruguay generated significant interest: 22 local governments submitted applications, including 12 departmental governments and 10 municipalities.

The selection of participating governments considered several factors, including the level of progress in digital transformation processes, the importance each government places on public innovation, the available technical capacities, and the political commitment to a responsible adoption of artificial intelligence.

Among the selected participants are ten departmental governments — Canelones, Colonia, Flores, Florida, Maldonado, Montevideo, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, and San José — along with three municipal governments: Carmelo (Colonia), Nueva Palmira (Colonia), and Punta del Este (Maldonado).

A working agenda for 2026

During 2026, these governments will be part of a regional network of public managers working to advance innovation in the public sector. The program’s agenda includes peer-learning sessions, thematic workshops, technical support for project development, and connections with the innovation ecosystem, including startups, specialists, and multilateral organizations.

The goal is for governments to move from identifying challenges to implementing pilot technological solutions, building capacities that will allow successful initiatives to scale in the future.

CIIAR Uruguay thus joins a regional network connecting governments from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay committed to promoting a public innovation agenda based on collaboration and the responsible use of emerging technologies.

About GovTech Connect

GovTech Connect is a regional program led by BID Lab and implemented by RIL, with the participation of Gobe Ventures. Its objective is to strengthen and connect GovTech innovation ecosystems across Latin America by promoting collaboration between local governments and startups to develop solutions to public challenges.

The program works both on strengthening governments’ capacities to adopt new technologies and on supporting startups in improving their business models for the public sector (B2G) and preparing to work with governments.

“Our region has talent and digital solutions with great potential to generate public value. However, structural barriers still exist, such as rigid procurement processes or uneven institutional capacities. GovTech Connect seeks to help overcome these challenges by promoting collaboration among ecosystem actors,” said Javier Madariaga, Senior Specialist at BID Lab.

The incorporation of these first governments into CIIAR Uruguay represents an important step toward consolidating a responsible artificial intelligence agenda at the local level and strengthening collaborative work among cities across the region.