Virtual event
Edge of Government: The Unconventional Innovation Showcase
In partnership with UAE’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation
Wednesday, Jan 21, 2026
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Speakers
What to do next
- Catch up on the 10-minute highlights above or dive into the full recording
- Join the Government Innovation Community , and look out for exciting updates on the Edge50 and Edge of Government Hub!
Resources
Some of the most exciting innovations in government aren’t happening in the headlines – they’re happening on the edges. From rethinking to redesigning bureaucracy, governments around the world are testing creative solutions in unexpected ways.
Ahead of global attention turning to the Edge of Government Exhibit at the World Government Summit stage, where big ideas will turn heads, this session – brought to you by Apolitical and the UAE’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation – takes you inside the policies, projects and people pushing boundaries. You’ll gain a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most surprising innovations gaining international recognition.
Join to hear from public innovators behind real case studies and learn how public servants and governments are, together, using bold ideas to tackle complex challenges, and reshape what government can look like. Whether you're looking to prototype new services, influence change or simply stay inspired, these ideas will also offer practical lessons – not just big visions.
Interested in how Apolitical can support you and your organisation? Learn about collaborating with us.
Image credit: unsplash
Speakers
Abeer Tahlak
Director of Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation
UAE
Harry Kruiter
Action Researcher, Institute for Public Values/ Instituut voor Publieke Waarden
The Netherlands
Friso Landstra
Action Researcher, Institute for Public Values/ Instituut voor Publieke Waarden
The Netherlands
Gaurav Gupta
Chief Growth Officer, EkStep Foundation
India
Abeer Tahlak, who supports the vision and agenda set in the UAE government to make the UAE one of the most innovative nations within both her roles as Director of the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation & previously the Director of Possibilities at the Ministry of Possibilities where she supports the Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic Affairs of the UAE in leading & managing the operations & the teams within both organizations.
Harry Kruiter, loves to break through organizational defensive routines. He co-founded the institute for public values (IPW) 15 years ago in the Netherlands. At the institute they developed the breakthrough method. A method that helps the most vulnerable family’s breakthrough bureaucratic process. Harry also likes to write and has written many articles and books on breaking through bureaucracy’s, defensive routines and the basic need for more enhanced social security. Currently he’s busy finding out what the Dutch designed Breakthrough method could do for vulnerable people in other countries.
Friso Landstra, specializes in complexity thinking within the social and justice domains. He examines how public systems operate in practice for families facing multiple, interrelated problems, and where policy theories fall short in the stubborn reality of implementation. As an Action Researcher, he works at the intersection of policy, execution, and practice, focusing on how public organizations can be designed to operate more effectively and in a more learning-oriented way. Friso has an academic background in aerospace engineering, which reinforces his systematic and model-based approach to complex societal issues. Over the past five years, he has developed a breakthrough methodology for cities facing high levels of poverty, insecurity, and poor health, enabling the realization of impactful solutions for large groups of residents.
