Innovation Day 2025: Driving digital transformation across government

Posted on 20th November 2025

Written by Sebastian Moore, Business Relationship Manager, HM Treasury

As an AI100 UK Digital Leader and Business Relationship Manager at HM Treasury, I’m passionate about how technology can accelerate change and deliver value for the public sector. Earlier this month, I had the privilege of organising Innovation Day 2025 in London, our flagship event showcasing the people and projects shaping the future of government services.

The day opened with the Chancellor of the Exchequer setting a bold, future-focused tone, followed by an inspiring keynote from Mike Potter, former Government Chief Digital Officer, who shared insights on embedding responsible AI and scaling digital transformation across departments.

Four dynamic zones across the grandeur of Treasury HQ

To spark collaboration and practical learning, we designed four interactive spaces:

Auditorium – Thought leaders from government, industry, and academia explored how emerging technologies and agile practices can transform public services.
Press Lightwell – Our AI Demo Lounge offered hands-on experiences with cutting-edge tools.
Breakout Space – A buzzing Partner Expo featuring strategic suppliers, cross-government networks and Arm’s Length Bodies.
Churchill Annex – An exclusive roundtable for senior leaders to tackle AI challenges and opportunities.

Driving practical innovation

The Partner Expo was a highlight, showcasing solutions in AI, automation, cyber security, sustainability and digital transformation. Communities such as the Document Accessibility Community of Practice and Digital Workplace Community promoted inclusion and upskilling, helping colleagues build confidence in a rapidly evolving landscape.

We also saw standout contributions from across government:

UK Export Finance (UKEF) demonstrated its Sovereign Credit Rating Model, a machine learning tool improving risk assessments.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) introduced its AI Lab, enabling firms to experiment with AI under regulatory guidance.

Spotlight on NISTA and scout

One of the most exciting innovations was Scout, developed by NISTA in partnership with No 10, i.AI and the Cabinet Office. Scout is an AI-powered tool designed to streamline government project assurance reviews—traditionally a time-consuming process involving thousands of pages of documentation.

How Scout Works:

Rapid Analysis – Cuts document review time by 50%.
Accuracy – Early testing shows a 92.5% accuracy rate.
Features – Includes a chatbot, document viewer, chart and image reading, and integration with data sources.

Scout doesn’t replace human judgement; it enhances it. By highlighting key areas for scrutiny, it enables experts to focus where they add most value. Tested across six departments, Scout is proving secure, user-friendly and transformative—boosting productivity and transparency in major project delivery.

So for me, Innovation Day reaffirmed why collaboration and technology matter. By bringing together leaders, innovators and practitioners, we’re not just talking about digital transformation—we’re making it real.