Public Spend Forum, in collaboration with Shatter Fund and Dcode, to launch Public Procurement Technology Innovation Labs

WASHINGTON, May 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Public Spend Forum, in collaboration with the Los Angeles Mayor's Office and in partnership with Shatter Fund and Dcode, is proud to announce the launch of the Public Procurement Technology and Innovation Labs. The ProTech Innovation Labs will bring together government agencies, established and emerging procurement technology firms, entrepreneurs and experts to showcase technologies and approaches that are disrupting the technology purchasing process and accelerating the adoption of technology across government.

The launch event for ProTech Innovation Labs, to be held in Los Angeles on June 6, 2018, will include panels, speakers, and case studies of innovation across cities, states and federal agencies. The event will include remarks by former Presidential candidate and former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley on the need for smart cities to do smart procurement.

"Technology speeds ahead, but most government purchasing is stuck in first gear," said Governor O'Malley. "It doesn't need to be this way. Innovations in procurement mean more savings, more jobs and more opportunities for businesses."

Easy to implement at relatively low cost, cloud based solutions, blockchain, and artificial intelligence are all making it easier to "hack" the government procurement process, in turn reducing costs, driving innovation, and improving the delivery of services to citizens.

"Technology is disrupting every market.  We need to do the same in the $10 trillion public sector market," said Raj Sharma, Chairman of Public Spend Forum. "Through the ProTech Innovation Labs, our goal is to shine a brighter light on all the innovative approaches and technologies that are rapidly changing the way governments across the world purchase technology as well as all goods and services."

"Los Angeles, a city known for innovation and entrepreneurship, is the perfect home for the inaugural ProTech Innovation Labs?a gathering rethinking the procurement ecosystem," said Michael Owh, Chief Procurement Officer for the City of Los Angeles. "Leveraging innovative and emerging technologies while rethinking old processes is an important part of how we protect taxpayer dollars and create a more inclusive economy."

The Innovation Labs will focus on three key areas to start:

• Tech Demo Days - Through an independent selection committee, the Labs will select emerging technologies and case studies to be showcased through live and virtual "demo days." The first Tech Demo Day will be held summer 2018.
• Accelerator for ProTech Suppliers - To be run by Dcode, a technology accelerator, ProTech Innovation Labs is launching an Accelerator where emerging procurement technology firms can learn about government needs and accelerate their solutions for government. The initial program will be run during July 2018 with applications starting mid-May.
• Tech Innovation Workshops - Government agencies as well as emerging firms can also engage in "How to Buy" workshops that go beyond traditional means to explore innovative methods for purchasing technology.

Over time, a Prototyping Lab as well as a broader Procurement Innovation center will be introduced.

The ProTech Innovation Labs Advisory Board provides counsel for key aspects of the Labs including innovation events, competitions and more. The Advisory Board is comprised of senior leaders well versed in technology, government procurement and public policy. Inaugural members include:

• Dr. David Bray - Executive Director, Center for a People-Centered Internet
• Professor Rob Handfield - Executive Director, Supply Chain Resource Cooperative, North Carolina State University
• Michael Hermus - Former, CTO, US Department of Homeland Security

To learn more about ProTech Innovation Labs and the launch event, please visit https://publicspendforum.lpages.co/procurement-technology-innovation-labs/.

About Public Spend Forum

Public Spend Forum (PSF) is a global innovation and market intelligence platform for public procurement and public sector markets. PSF is working with stakeholders including government leaders, private sector, academia, think tanks and experts "to create open markets" by providing access to credible market intelligence and best practice tools and frameworks that can rapidly improve all aspects of the $10 trillion global public sector market.

About Shatter Fund

The Shatter Fund invests capital in high potential disruptive technology companies and actively supports each company's growth and development via its extensive distribution network. "Shatter" was founded on the core belief that investment in women allows for us to create extraordinary opportunities to scale our companies, create jobs, contribute as equal participants to the innovation economy, and have a seat at the table in designing solutions that have a direct impact. Our goal is to use investment to build the ecosystem of female funders and founders both in the U.S. and around the world. Shatter's key investment sectors are in high impact tech companies in the areas of FinTech (AI), HealthTech, EdTech and Blockchain (with some opportunistic investments), founded or led by female entrepreneurs.

About Dcode

Dcode is a unique accelerator program designed to help emerging technologies quickly break into the federal market and transform the way the government runs. The program focuses on de-risking the federal government as a channel and knocking down barriers to entry for emerging technologies. When emerging tech gets to revenue faster, and government gets access to better tech - It's a win-win! As a center for innovation and collaboration, Dcode connects businesses with government, partners, and the resources needed for everyone to succeed.

SOURCE Public Spend Forum