Inside the digital backbone of Flanders: the role of API management & Apigee in public services

Imagine you’re a construction company needing a site plan of Aalst to plan your next project. You submit a request, and instead of navigating complex systems, it’s seamlessly forwarded to a central service that connects you to the right data – quickly and efficiently. 

This central service is an API platform. 

It acts as an intelligent intermediary, ensuring secure and efficient data exchange. The API validates each request to ensure it’s legitimate (“Does the requester, like the city of Aalst, have the right credentials and authorization to access this data?”) and, through API management, directs it to the right backend system or data source. 

If the request is valid, the API forwards it to the backend, which retrieves the required data (the site plan of Aalst). Once the backend gathers the necessary details, it sends the site plan back through the API platform, ensuring a structured and secure delivery. 

This is where integration flows step in, connecting client applications to the backend through APIs. With a universal communication model, APIs ensure seamless interaction. When a request for a site plan is made, the API platform maps it, queries the backend, and securely delivers the data. 

Given the massive amount of traffic – every citizen interacts with government services multiple times a day, whether through eBox, the COVID Safe app, or other digital services – API management ensures that only the right people gain access to the right information.  

Additionally, it serves as a mitigation tool, regulating access and preventing system overload. When handling high-volume APIs or large-scale backend systems, it ensures everything runs smoothly.  

This means that for high-traffic APIs or complex backend systems, API management isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s essential for security, scalability, and efficiency. 

“When we started working with Digitaal Vlaanderen, the API Management platform Apigee was already in place,” Guy – Integration Architect at i8c – explains. “Apigee was the perfect choice because of its versatility. It allows for highly complex setups when needed.” 

“Back then, traffic was much lower because the government had fewer digital applications and systems. But as digitalization grows, more data is being exchanged than ever. Apigee continues to play a crucial role in keeping everything structured, secure, and flowing smoothly across government services.” 

As digital services within the Flemish government continue to expand, so does the need for new API proxies: the intermediaries that manage and secure data flows. And that’s where we still play a role today. 

“Our role is to keep the API Management platform running smoothly as the Flemish government’s digital landscape evolves,” explains Damien Mesure, Integration Consultant at i8c. ”The key is proactive monitoring. This means staying ahead of potential issues before they become real problems. Instead of waiting for something to break, we continuously analyze system performance, track traffic patterns, and identify irregularities in real time.” 

“It’s also about spotting early warning signs. If something goes wrong, we act immediately, investigating the root cause to keep servers running smoothly. We ask critical questions like, ‘Is a sudden traffic spike normal, or could it signal a security breach?’ and ‘Are certain services receiving an unusual number of requests, indicating a potential attack or system misconfiguration?’” adds Jordi Fransen, Integration Consultant at i8c. 

By asking the right questions early on, we can detect and resolve issues before they impact system performance or security. 

Technically, this involves: 

• Developing new API proxies to enable secure and efficient communication between systems. 

• Analyzing traffic patterns: Is a sudden spike in requests expected, or could it indicate a security threat? 

• Building custom configurations for data transformation, adapting APIs to support new integrations and services. 

• Monitoring and maintaining the platform to ensure servers remain operational and requests are handled properly. 

Monitoring happens on multiple layers: while Apigee provides insights, Yorick has also built a dedicated monitoring platform to enhance visibility and control. 

“We use the ELK stack – Elasticsearch, Logstash, and Kibana – together with the team at Digitaal Vlaanderen,” explains Yorick Cleerbout, Integration Consultant at i8c “This allows us to pinpoint exactly where things go wrong.” 

Damien explains, “The work we do is incredibly relevant because it impacts every citizen in Flanders. We’re building systems that every citizen in Flanders uses, whether they realize it or not. It’s the digital backbone of Flanders.”  

Yorick adds, “What I love most is the co-creation with the team at Digitaal Vlaanderen. Their developers build applications and come to us with a clear understanding of their integration needs. Our job is to make sure everything runs securely and efficiently, and to open up their services to the outside world when needed.” 

“Our experience with i8c has always been excellent,” says Tomas Fülöpp, ICT Product & Portfolio Manager at Digitaal Vlaanderen. “The team of consultants supporting us has been fantastic.” 

“They pick up on technical aspects quickly, but what stands out most is their communication. They understand our needs and take ownership. There’s a lot of enthusiasm in the way they work. They focus on customer satisfaction, bring in fresh ideas, and proactively improve things. They spot patterns, solve issues before they happen, and always make our work easier. In a fast-changing environment, that’s exactly what we need.” 

Within the collaboration, a strong emphasis is placed on usability and long-term sustainability. “For me, it’s important that the services we build are well-structured and provide long-lasting, high-quality solutions,” Tomas adds. 

In our view, this starts with documentation, shared libraries and centralized systems. 

“Everything is meticulously documented, making it easy for others to step in when needed and ensuring uninterrupted service,” says Tomas. 

To further support this, we developed a shared library and a centralized system, both of which we actively maintain. But why does this matter? One of the biggest challenges with Apigee is authentication. Government services use multiple authentication systems, and instead of reinventing the wheel each time, a centralized system allows us to reuse authentication mechanisms for future setups. 

The shared library makes authentication work consistently across different Apigee installations, cutting down development time and ensuring reliability. “This library isn’t just for Apigee, it’s used across other platforms too. We’ve successfully streamlined authentication across multiple setups, making it easier to manage and scale,” Tomas explains. 

The digital road ahead: evolving the platform for a smarter, scalable future  

By consolidating systems, optimizing authentication, and proactively monitoring performance, we’re building a future-proof digital infrastructure. Here’s how: 

API management ensures secure, efficient data exchange by validating requests and routing them to the appropriate backend systems. 

Centralized authentication, proactive monitoring, and reusable shared libraries enhance system scalability and reliability. 

Consolidating Apigee installations and developing on-demand API proxies keep the platform agile and future-proof. 

Looking ahead, the focus is on consolidating Apigee installations. Currently, there are three separate Apigee environments, and efforts are underway to merge them into a single, streamlined setup.