Advancing digitalization is still a major challenge for many public authorities: Numerous national and European regulations must be complied with, citizen data must be processed in compliance with data protection regulations and processes must be redesigned in a user-oriented manner. When it comes to implementation, however, many organizations often lack the tools they need to provide tailored digitalization solutions at low cost. The result: a digitalization backlog where nothing seems to be progressing and citizens and public authority employees are still far too often reliant on scanned documents and handwritten applications.
Low-code platforms offer a solution. They are changing the way in which public organizations can develop and implement digital solutions. (Enterprise) platforms make it possible to create digital applications quickly and efficiently without in-depth programming knowledge. This enables administrations to react agilely to new challenges and gain speed in digitalization. Instead of waiting years for the completion of complex software projects, authorities can develop prototypes, for example for citizen portals, within a few weeks or months and gradually improve them. The fast development time not only shortens the implementation phases, but also saves costs.
Sustainable increase in digital sovereignty
Digital sovereignty is a central guiding principle of administrative digitalization: organizations at all federal levels should retain control over their IT infrastructures and data and be able to act independently. This is particularly successful when low-code platforms are used. This enables authorities to develop customized solutions and reduce dependencies.
Strengthening specialist sovereignty plays an important role here. Low-code (or no-code) platforms enable specialist departments in particular to adapt even highly complex, integrated applications independently. As co-developers or even citizen developers, business experts are able to automate processes both internally and for customers, develop tailor-made solutions for individual departments or optimize processes. The big advantage: even without extensive IT knowledge, employees can help design applications thanks to graphical development tools and ready-made modules without having to rely on complex programming.
Another aspect of digital sovereignty is data sovereignty. The use of low-code platforms enables better control over data security and protection with independent hosting or cloud-based provision as a platform-as-a-service in Germany and the EU. Low-code platforms can also be used to gradually replace shadow IT solutions and data silos and transfer them to consistent data storage. Public institutions can thus ensure that data is stored and processed in accordance with the applicable legal regulations.
Promoting independent and collaborative IT solutions
Administration often has limited resources at its disposal. Here, low-code platforms can simplify collaboration between different departments and authorities and increase the reuse of solutions among them. Thanks to the collaborative low-code approach, different requirements providers and specialist departments can also participate directly in the creation and adaptation of applications in interdisciplinary teams. In this way, IT solutions are developed that have a high degree of transparency and acceptance and also meet the actual needs of users.
Overarching requirements and framework conditions
In addition to the operational increase in digital sovereignty, low code must also be integrated into the federal IT landscape as a technological approach for the long-term and overarching strengthening of the state’s ability to act. To this end, overarching framework conditions for the correct use of low-code platforms can be jointly identified. This includes, for example, aspects such as avoiding one-sided dependencies on individual market players and infrastructures, for example from non-EU countries, or compliance with security and data protection requirements as well as aspects of subsequent use and interoperability. The many low-code projects that have already been successfully implemented can make an important contribution here, as they are already playing a key role in driving forward the digitalization of public administration.
Low code as a driver of digitalization in the public sector?
- What advantages do low-code platforms offer public administration when it comes to digitalization?
- Do they strengthen digital sovereignty? Does low code promote interdisciplinary collaboration?
- What framework conditions need to be created in order to fully exploit the potential of low code?
Join the discussion at the Future Congress in Berlin
Best Practice Dialog II.C5: Tuesday, June 25, 15.00-15.45h
“Low Code: Digitization by, for and with administration. New forms of digital sovereignty?”
Last Updated on April 4, 2025 by mgm-marketing
