Julia had the honour to deliver the keynote address at Offentliga Rummet – an annual Swedish ICT conference that examines how government authorities, county councils, regions and local authorities can improve accessibility and broaden citizen participation in the public sector, both with the help of new technology and by starting to think along new lines. In a talk entitled ‘Turning Turtles into Gazelles,’ Julia discussed the challenges and opportunities that Open Innovation presents for the public sector in terms of delivery more citizen-centric services. During a follow on seminar, participants shared the common challenges that public administrators across Europe face in terms of introducing innovation and driving transformational change within public sector organizations. Seminars, demonstrations and talks at Offentliga Rummet dealt not only with practical experience (such as working with NASA to build compact new satellites that will transform the way in which machines and people communicate) but also with current technological developments, changes in regulations, new forms of cooperation and national strategies. Throughout the conference, the issue of how ICT can pave the way for a robust, more dynamic democratic dialogue represented a common and welcomed theme!