Artificial Intelligence and Digital Identification Initiatives from Four Countries Win 2025 Gobernarte Award

Six initiatives submitted by subnational governments in Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, and Mexico won the Inter-American Development Bank’s 2025 Gobernarte Contest—Pablo Valenti Award.

The contest “Gobernarte: the art of good government” identifies, documents, and honors the most innovative practices in different areas of subnational governments’ work in order to share those practices and promote cooperation between governments in Latin America and the Caribbean. This year’s theme is public innovations related to artificial intelligence and digital identification.

A panel of experts selected the six winners from 119 entries from 11 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The winning initiatives in the category "artificial intelligence to enhance the management of subnational government services" were:

1. Observatory for Production and Climate Change, Autonomous Provincial Government of Manabí, Ecuador, in partnership with the Escuela Superior Politécnica Agropecuaria de Manabí Manuel Félix López (ESPAM MFL). This initiative is designed to transform land-use management through advanced technologies like geographic information systems and artificial intelligence to optimize economic planning and climate risk management.
2. Predictive Rapid Response Monitoring System—URANO, Municipal Prefecture of São Paulo, Brazil. This initiative uses artificial intelligence and big data to monitor urban maintenance in real time and prevent floods, optimizing the city’s resilience and management.
3. AI Assistant for Responsible Academic Queries in Online Learning Environments, Hospital de Berisso, Argentina in partnership with Open Lab, Independent University Extension Project of the Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. This initiative provides professors and administrators real-time access to strategic information, helping them use artificial intelligence to make better decisions in online learning environments.

The winning entries in the category "digital identification for secure and accessible subnational government services" were:

1. Llave CDMX, Government of Mexico City, Mexico. Using biometric data, this initiative creates a digital identity to optimize procedures with the government, improve service to citizens, and facilitate interoperability between institutions.
2. Digital Profile, Municipality of Rosario, in partnership with the National Secretariat of Science and Technology, Argentina. This initiative optimizes municipal services by allowing citizens to complete procedures online, monitor their progress, and access documents in a faster and more transparent way.
3. Digital identity —Escobar 360°, Municipality of Escobar, in partnership with the National Registry of Persons, Argentina. This initiative aims to give people quick and secure access to municipal services by using facial biometrics for digital identification.

For more information about the winning initiatives, see the contest website.