Shaping New Government Services

Swedish government-run railway company SJ lets its passengers use a chip implanted under their skin to present their ticket. The tiny chip enables train personnel to scan passengers’ hands.

The new service was introduced as a result of citizens’ demands. Rather than dismissing the request for payment by implants as an anomaly, the company embraced the change, recognizing it might be an early sign of a growing trend. A prototype was developed in just 2 weeks, and the new payment option was introduced at record time. As technology becomes more and more widespread, how many more service extensions will citizens want? Proactive governments have a chance to be responsive and shape the future of services together with citizens.