Digital innovations to create smarter cities and technology to use and protect customer identities will be at the forefront of the 2021 Digital.NSW Showcase on Tuesday and Wednesday. NSW Government Chief Information and Digital Officer Greg Wells said the Digital.NSW Showcase would highlight the latest innovations used by NSW Government agencies including the Department of Customer Service (DCS). "The NSW Government is a world leader in delivering customer-centric digital outcomes, whether it is providing clear guidance on the safe use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with the AI Strategy or investing $2.1 billion into digital transformation projects as part of the Digital Restart Fund," Mr Wells said. "During COVID-19 we were the first state to introduce a digital COVID-Safe check-in system which made it easier for people to safely visit venues and access essential services while supporting the efforts of NSW Health contract tracers. "We were also one of the first states to successfully integrate the digital COVID-19 vaccination certificate into the Service NSW app and to link it to the check-in system, allowing customers to provide vaccination status quickly and efficiently." The latest version of the of the Beyond Digital Strategy will also be released in conjunction with the showcase. Beyond Digital sets the strategic direction and objectives for NSW to continue its work in becoming a customer-centric, digitally enabled government. DCS's latest initiative, Digital Identity and Credentials, will also be in focus at the showcase, with the team behind the critical project demonstrating how customers will soon have more choice and convenience in the way they safely and securely prove their identity and share their information. Executive Director of Information, Communications and Technology and Digital Sourcing Mark Lenzner said the Digital.NSW Showcase would focus on four core themes including digital, data, ICT infrastructure and Smart Places, each exploring a different way technology can deliver more efficient and accessible services for customers "Digital products such as DCS's integration of the digital vaccination certificate, Dine & Discover vouchers and Digital Licensing play a critical role across NSW government by making sure customers can easily access and use important services, even when faced with a pandemic," Mr Lenzner said. "Presentations under the Smart Places stream will explore how the NSW Government can create a better quality of life for people through technology.