Staatslabor

Staatslabor is a Swiss nonprofit association, think tank, and networking platform focused on innovation in the public sector. Founded in 2016, it works with public authorities at federal, cantonal, and municipal levels to help them respond to complex social, administrative, and technological challenges. Its work sits between public-sector consulting, innovation facilitation, civic participation, and policy experimentation. The organization was established by Alenka Bonnard, Danny Bürkli, Nicola Forster, and Maximilian Stern, with support from the Migros Pionierfonds, Impact Hub Bern, and the British Foundation Centre for Public Impact. Staatslabor’s premise is that government bodies often need access to methods, expertise, and networks that are more commonly associated with the technology, social-innovation, and startup communities. Rather than operating as a conventional commercial provider of government software, it presents itself as a platform for collaboration and the development of practical governance solutions. Its activities include advising administrations, convening experts, designing innovation processes, supporting public participation, and communicating emerging approaches to public-sector employees. Staatslabor has worked with Swiss federal offices as well as cities and municipalities. Examples described in public material include contributions to a Federal Office of Communications digital strategy, participation in a Federal Department of Foreign Affairs working group concerning the report “Switzerland in the World 2028,” and projects for the City of Bern’s Disposal and Recycling service and the City of Zurich’s Office for Gender Equality. A notable part of its innovation work is Staatsbox, an adaptation of Adobe’s Kickbox methodology for use in public administrations. The approach is intended to help officials identify, test, and develop new ideas inside government organizations. Staatslabor also operates knowledge-sharing formats, including interviews with specialists on its blog and the Staatskantine, a recurring presentation and discussion forum for administrative employees. Topics have included digital identity, blockchain applications, and experimentation in public services. During the COVID-19 crisis, Staatslabor became involved in efforts to connect civil society with Switzerland’s crisis-management structures. The Federal Department of Home Affairs appointed managing directors Alenka Bonnard and Danny Bürkli to the crisis-management team’s Soundingboard, where Staatslabor represented civil society alongside business and research. Through an online submission channel, civic groups and initiatives could communicate concerns and proposals to the crisis team and relevant administrative bodies. Staatslabor was also among the initiators of Versus Virus, a series of hackathons conducted under the auspices of the Federal Department of Home Affairs and the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research to generate responses to the pandemic. Staatslabor is led by co-directors Alenka Bonnard and Dario Meloni according to the supplied reference material. Its work reflects a broader movement toward more participatory, experimental, digitally enabled, and networked government. Because it is an association rather than a listed company, publicly available information is primarily oriented toward projects, partnerships, publications, and public-sector impact rather than financial reporting or product sales.

Staatslabor was founded in Switzerland in 2016 by Alenka Bonnard, Danny Bürkli, Nicola Forster, and Maximilian Stern. Its creation received support from the Migros Pionierfonds, Impact Hub Bern, and the British Foundation Centre for Public Impact. The founders established the organization as a nonprofit association intended to strengthen innovation capacity within Swiss government rather than as a conventional private-sector consultancy. The organization describes itself as a think tank and networking platform for the federal, cantonal, and municipal levels of the Swiss administration. Its work responds to the increasing complexity of public problems and to technological change affecting how government services are designed and delivered. Staatslabor seeks to make outside expertise, innovation methods, and practical experimentation more accessible to public authorities. Its operating model combines advisory work, research, events, communications, and project development. Staatslabor has engaged experts and administrative representatives through interviews, blog content, and the Staatskantine, a recurring knowledge-sharing format held for public-sector employees. Discussions have covered issues such as digital identity, blockchain, and the testing of new approaches to public services. A central methodological initiative is Staatsbox, an adaptation of Adobe’s Kickbox innovation tool for public administration. The adapted format is intended to help government employees move from identifying a problem to testing a possible solution. This illustrates Staatslabor’s emphasis on experimentation and internal innovation rather than only on long-term policy analysis. Staatslabor has also collaborated directly with Swiss public bodies. Its activities have included work for the Federal Office of Communications on a national digital strategy, participation in a Federal Department of Foreign Affairs working group preparing the report “Switzerland in the World 2028,” and projects involving local government. At municipal level, examples include efforts to involve residents in problem-solving for the City of Bern’s Disposal and Recycling service and work with the City of Zurich’s Office for Gender Equality. The COVID-19 pandemic gave the organization a prominent civil-society coordination role. The Federal Department of Home Affairs appointed managing directors Alenka Bonnard and Danny Bürkli to a Soundingboard supporting the crisis-management team that advised the Federal Council. Staatslabor’s role was described as representing civil society alongside business and research. It also helped create an online route for civic groups and initiatives to communicate concerns to the crisis team and relevant authorities. In addition, Staatslabor helped initiate Versus Virus, a hackathon series organized to develop ideas for pandemic-related challenges. The organization is managed by co-directors Alenka Bonnard and Dario Meloni according to the supplied reference material. Related publications by Staatslabor’s founders and associates have addressed social innovation, international examples of social innovation, and the future role of artificial intelligence in administration. Overall, Staatslabor occupies a distinctive position in Switzerland’s public-sector innovation ecosystem: it combines think-tank activity, facilitation, civic engagement, and practical support for administrative modernization.

• 2020

  Civil-society role in COVID-19 crisis management

  [1]Staatslaboren.wikipedia.org

  The Federal Department of Home Affairs appoints Staatslabor managing directors Alenka Bonnard and Danny Bürkli to the crisis-management Soundingboard.

• 2020

  Versus Virus hackathons

  [1]Staatslaboren.wikipedia.org

  Staatslabor helps initiate hackathons designed to develop innovative responses to the COVID-19 crisis.

• 2016

  Staatslabor is founded

  [1]Staatslaboren.wikipedia.org

  Alenka Bonnard, Danny Bürkli, Nicola Forster, and Maximilian Stern establish Staatslabor with support from the Migros Pionierfonds, Impact Hub Bern, and the Centre for Public Impact.

Public-sector innovation, administrative modernization, and civic-sector collaboration

• Public-sector innovation methodology

  Staatsbox

  Staatsbox is Staatslabor’s adaptation of Adobe’s Kickbox methodology for public administrations. It is designed to structure innovation processes inside government organizations, helping officials identify opportunities, develop ideas, and test possible solutions. The adaptation reflects Staatslabor’s effort to translate methods associated with corporate and startup innovation into formats suitable for administrative environments.

• Knowledge-sharing forum

  Staatskantine

  Staatskantine is a recurring presentation and discussion format for administrative employees. Experts from different fields present findings and practical perspectives on issues relevant to government modernization, including digital identity, blockchain, and experimentation in public services. It functions as a knowledge network rather than a conventional commercial product.

• 2020Versus Virus

  Switzerland

  Staatslabor helped initiate a series of hackathons conducted under the auspices of Swiss federal departments. The initiative sought ideas and practical responses to the social, economic, and administrative problems caused by COVID-19.

  Outcome. The initiative created a structured channel for collaborative problem-solving during the pandemic; a specific financial or commercial outcome is not documented in the supplied material.

  Source
• 2020COVID-19 civil-society input channel

  Switzerland

  Staatslabor presented a website that enabled civil-society groups and initiatives to submit concerns and proposals to the COVID-19 crisis-management team, with submissions forwarded to relevant administrative bodies.

  Outcome. The channel provided a formal interface between civic initiatives and crisis-management authorities; no quantified outcome is provided.

  Source

• Adaptation of Kickbox into StaatsboxStrategy

  Background

  Public administrations require innovation methods that account for government structures, procedures, and public-service responsibilities.

  Action taken

  Staatslabor adapted Adobe’s Kickbox tool into Staatsbox for use in public authorities.

  Aftermath

  The adaptation became part of Staatslabor’s public-sector innovation offering. The supplied material does not provide quantified results.

  Source

1. 1Staatslaboren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Staatslabor official websitestaatslabor.ch