LocationsInstitutionalised within the Office of the Prime Minister, the Lab is a national platform for reimagining governance, accelerating inclusive growth, and addressing complex 21st-century development challenges.
Bhutan Innovation Lab launched to accelerate public sector innovation
July 10, 2025
Honourable Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay joins representatives from the diplomatic community and development partners—including the Resident Representative of UNDP Bhutan, Ambassadors of Kuwait and Bangladesh, representatives from the Indian Embassy, JICA, WFP, and Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP—alongside eight Cabinet Ministers, at the official launch of the Bhutan Innovation Lab. The Lab serves as a national platform to accelerate innovation, reimagine governance, and deliver bold solutions for Bhutan’s 21st-century development goals.
UNDP Bhutan / Karma Jamtsho
10 July 2025: Imagine a space where government policy decisions are informed by real-time data, stakeholder input, and iterative testing—where failure is not feared but embraced as part of the learning process. This is exactly what the newly established Bhutan Innovation Lab is all about. An initiative of the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Bhutan Innovation Lab is designed to drive public sector innovation, address complex, systemic development challenges through agile, entrepreneurial methods.
Honourable Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay and UNDP Bhutan Resident Representative Mohammad Younus officially launch the Bhutan Innovation Lab by pressing the digital launch button.
UNDP Bhutan/ Karma Jamtsho
Honourable Prime Minister, His Excellency Lyonchhen Dasho Tshering Tobgay and UNDP Resident Representative Mohammad Younus launched the Bhutan Innovation Lab today in Thimphu.
Following the launch of the Bhutan Innovation Lab, Honourable Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay delivers a powerful address, calling for a shift from “business as usual” to a culture of bold innovation. He urged all sectors to embrace risk, break silos, and work together to shape a resilient, prosperous, and future-ready Bhutan.
UNDP Bhutan/Karma Jamtsho
“Innovation is never easy. It is often risky, uncomfortable, and unpredictable. But as a country, we can no longer afford the safety of sticking to familiar routines or outdated procedures. The greatest risk we face today is the risk of doing nothing. If we are to transform, to lead, and to inspire, we must dare to innovate—boldly, deliberately, and with purpose,” said the Honourable Prime Minister.
Honourable Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay addresses the gathering at the launch of the Bhutan Innovation Lab, reaffirming his full support for innovation across all sectors. He assured public servants and changemakers that they would have his backing to take bold and creative risks.
UNDP Bhutan / Karma Jamtsho
“So, as we go on this very exciting journey, I want to offer my friends in every ministry, in every department, in every agency: if you want to innovate—if you can innovate—go ahead. We will recognise you. If you want to innovate, but there are concerns about the risks, I will take the risk. I will endorse your innovation. If you want to innovate but don’t know how, let us know. Let’s work together. This is what the Bhutan Innovation Lab is for.”
UNDP Resident Representative Mohammad Younus highlights the Bhutan Innovation Lab as a bold step toward 10X inclusive growth under the 21st Century Economic Roadmap. He reaffirmed UNDP’s commitment to Bhutan’s innovation journey and thanked the CORE Group countries for their support.
UNDP Bhutan/Karma Jamtsho
“Bhutan’s 21st Century Economic Roadmap sets a bold path for an inclusive, 10X economic growth. The Bhutan Innovation Lab is a direct response to this bold vision and goals. UNDP is honoured to have been a key partner on both the 21st Century Economic Roadmap and the establishment and institutionalisation of the Bhutan Innovation Lab. As the Lab reshapes and redefines development, delivering real results and impact for Bhutan and its people, UNDP will remain a steadfast partner in this innovation journey,” said UNDP Resident Representative Mohammad Younus.
The unveiling of the Bhutan Innovation Lab logo and website marks the beginning of a transformative national platform—symbolising Bhutan’s commitment to reimagine governance, accelerate inclusive growth, and drive innovation for a resilient future.
UNDP Bhutan/ Wangyel Studio
As global challenges become more complex and interconnected, governments everywhere are finding it harder to keep pace. The need for fresh, innovative approaches to public policy has never been greater and urgent. The lab will identify, establish, and augment strategies to accelerate the 13th Five-Year Plan and Bhutan’s 10x economic transformation vision.
Representatives from civil society organisations, government agencies, the private sector, media, and youth came together for the launch of the Bhutan Innovation Lab. The event marked a collective commitment to foster bold, inclusive, and homegrown solutions to Bhutan’s development challenges—through innovation, collaboration, and shared purpose.
UNDP Bhutan/Karma Jamtsho
It will bring together government, civil society, the private sector, academia and citizens to co-create impactful solutions to pressing national development challenges. These solutions will be tested for effectiveness before scaling through people-centered and innovative design approaches, helping the government to make smarter, safer and more effective decisions.
Representatives from UNDP's core donor countries, including the Ambassadors of Singapore, Bangladesh and Kuwait joined the launch in person, while those from the Embassies of Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Türkiye joined virtually.
UNDP Bhutan/Karma Jamtsho
Frontier challenges the Lab is tackling
One of the Lab’s first initiatives is to address the systemic challenges in the appointment process of the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH), Bhutan’s largest hospital, with a goal to make it more efficient and patient-centered.
Tshering Choden from UNDP Bhutan presents one of the Lab’s first initiatives—redesigning the JDWNRH appointment system to make healthcare more efficient, accessible, and patient-centred. The solution, co-created with health professionals and citizens, rolls out this August.
UNDP Bhutan/Karma Jamtsho
As part of the effort, health professionals, policymakers, and citizens worked closely together, examining the broader healthcare ecosystem and pinpointing persistent issues with the current appointment process. Drawing on these insights, the Lab, together with the National Medical Service (NMS) and the Ministry of Health, developed solutions that prioritise accessibility, efficiency, and user-friendliness of the appointment process to improve the experience for patients and healthcare providers alike. The NMS and JDWNRH will roll out the solutions in August/September this year.
Dr. Joshua Oware from UNDP presents the Lab’s systems-based analysis of Bhutan’s tourism sector—identifying key barriers and opportunities to design sequenced, high-impact solutions aligned with national economic goals.
UNDP Bhutan/Karma Jamtsho
The Lab has also conducted a two-month, systems-based analysis of Bhutan’s tourism sector with a goal to align the sector with national economic goals. As part of the effort, the Lab identified barriers, risks and opportunities. Based on these insights, the Lab is now designing sequenced, high-impact solutions.
By embedding innovation into the heart of government, the Bhutan Innovation Lab is not only providing practical solutions to pressing challenges but also laying the groundwork for a more adaptive and innovative government.
Honourable Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Cabinet Ministers, UNDP Resident Representative Mohammad Younus, ambassadors, development partners, civil society, youth, and representatives from the private sector and media attentively watch the Bhutan Innovation Lab team presents its first bold steps—demonstrating how innovation is being used to reimagine governance, improve public service delivery, and shape Bhutan’s development future.
UNDP Bhutan/ Karma Jamtsho
For more information, contact:
Ms Tashi Choden, Email address: tchoden@cabinet.gov.bt or Ms Tshering Choden, Email address: tshering.choden1@undp.org
