Raquel Poncela, Chief Digital Officer, Spanish Royal Mint, Spain

1. How do you use your role to ensure that technology and policy are truly inclusive? 

At the Spanish Government’s public certification authority, technology is not just a tool, it is a bridge to equity. We harness it to empower underserved communities, such as rural residents or people with mobility challenges. For example, our AI-driven digital onboarding processes allow electronic certificates to be obtained without the need to verify identity in person at a physical office, ensuring no one is left behind. 

2. What’s a moment in your career when you saw firsthand how technology or a new policy changed a citizen’s life for the better? 

I still remember my time at the Ministry of Justice when we launched the ministry’s very first digital services portal. For the first time, citizens could track the status of their justice procedures online in real time. In an area as sensitive as justice, giving people the ability to simply ask themselves “¿Cómo va lo mío?” (the citizen-friendly name we gave the service “How is my situation?”) was transformative. 

3. What was the most impactful project you worked on this year, and how did you measure its success in building trust and serving the needs of the public?

Under a direct commission from the Spanish Ministry of Digital Transformation, I have been deeply involved in the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet) initiative. My team has played an active role in several large-scale European consortia and led the development of Spain’s national pilots for the future EUDI Wallet ecosystem. When fully rolled out, this initiative will give every European citizen or business sovereign control over their personal data, and the ability to securely share verified identity attributes and credentials with any public administration or private organisation across the EU.  

4. What was one unexpected lesson you learned this year about designing for real people? This can be about a specific project or a broader lesson about your work. 

People aren’t just users—they’re humans with emotions and fears. When something goes wrong, what they need most is to feel truly heard. We’ve all been there, haven’t we? That’s the most important lesson I’ve taken from 25 years of building public digital services: no matter how sophisticated or friendly an AI becomes, it can never replace genuine human empathy. That’s why we always design hybrid experiences, cutting-edge technology paired with real, in-person support, so that any citizen who needs it can speak to another human being, face to face or over the phone. Digital transformation should expand access and inclusion, but never create new forms of isolation. 

5. We hear a lot about AI. What's a practical example of how AI can be used to make government services more inclusive and trustworthy? 

AI truly shines when it bridges real-world gaps. A perfect example is our remote video identification service, now in its third year. It allows citizens to verify their identity through a simple video call and obtain electronic certificates without ever leaving home, which is an absolute lifeline for elderly people, those with reduced mobility, or anyone living in remote areas. Secure and reliable technology designed with empathy can build extraordinary trust. For the Spanish Government, digital transformation is not just about efficiency—it is about genuine inclusion. 

6. How are you preparing for the next wave of change in the public sector? What new skill, approach, or technology are you most excited to explore in the coming year?

As a qualified Trust Service Provider, security is not just a priority, it’s our core mission. With quantum computing on the horizon and cyber threats evolving faster than ever, we cannot stand still. That’s why we are proactively phasing out traditional RSA algorithms in favor of Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), while already laying the groundwork for post-quantum cryptography. Our goal is to future-proof Spain’s critical digital infrastructure, ensuring that citizens’ and businesses’ trust remains absolutely unbreakable. 

7. What advice do you have for public sector innovators who want to build a career focused on serving all citizens? 

I would say keep on dreaming, dream of a better country and a fairer world for every citizen. Show up every single day determined to make public services more human, more efficient, and more inclusive. And never forget that technology is not the destination, it is the tool we wield to turn the boldest public policies into tangible, life-changing reality for the people we serve. 

8. Who inspires you to build a more inclusive and trustworthy public sector? 

Throughout my career I have been fortunate to be inspired by many remarkable people, but nowadays I deeply admire the Spanish Royal Mint director. She is a woman who constantly encourages and empowers us to make the public services we deliver more inclusive and accessible to every citizen. She is a tireless advocate for equality. For her, trust and security are the very essence and hallmark of our institution. That profound conviction is inspiring everyone who is working under her leadership. 

9. If you had an unlimited budget, what would your dream project be?

If I had an unlimited budget in my current role, my dream project would be to create the world’s first truly universal, self-sovereign, and lifelong digital identity. One that every human being owns and controls from birth to end of life, radically simplifying and protecting people’s interactions with governments, banks, healthcare, education… everywhere. 

But if the scope were even broader, I would completely reimagine Spain’s public digital services as a proactive, intelligent ecosystem. Using AI and secure, shared public data, the system would anticipate citizens’ needs: pre-filling forms before they even know they need them, detecting life events early (a new baby, a job loss…), and offering help before anyone has to ask. Reactive bureaucracy would disappear and be replaced by a new generation of anticipatory, human-centered GovTech. 

10. Outside tech, what excites you the most?

I was born in Málaga, on the Costa del Sol in southern Spain. One of my favorite things in life is still going for walks on the beach with my twins. Feeling the sea breeze, hearing the waves, getting some sun… simple stuff, but they genuinely make me really happy.