Events

“Sustainable Digitalization and Digital Sufficiency”: Info- & Networking-Event

23.01.2025, 17:00 @ Impact Hub Bern “Loft”, Spitalgasse 28 (entrance Ryffligasse), 3011 Bern (event free of charge)

Do you have an idea to reduce Switzerland’s ecological footprint through or with digital technology? Join us for an evening of insights, inspiration, and connections as we launch the next round of the Prototype Fund!

The event marks the beginning of the application period of the new funding round which focuses on Open Source projects – software but also hardware or other approaches – advancing sustainable digitalization and digital sufficiency. Whether you’re a developer, researcher, activist, or simply passionate about leveraging tech for ecological sustainability, this is the place to learn, network, and get your questions answered.

What to Expect

• Lightning Talks: Leading experts – like Jan Bieser and Joséphine von Mitschke-Collande will highlight the relevance of sustainable digitalization and sufficiency in addressing climate and resource challenges.
• Prototype Fund Overview: Discover how to apply, what to expect during the program, and what we’re looking for in your application.
• Networking & Match-Making: Meet like-minded people over drinks and snacks – from potential team members and program participants to our partners from Mercator and Christoph Merian Foundation.

Who Should Join

• Developers, researchers, activists, or those simply passionate about leveraging tech for ecological sustainability.
• Anyone curious about the intersection of technology, ecology, and systemic transformation.

Why Attend?

This event sets the stage for successful applications to the Prototype Fund. It’s your chance to connect, ask questions, and build momentum for your project idea.

Space is limited – Register now to secure your spot!

Sustainable Digitalization and Digital Sufficiency: „Concept workshops“ (2x)

#1: 06.02.2025, 16:00 – 18:00 @ UZH, Rämistrasse 69, 8001 Zürich – RSVP
#2: 26.02.2025, 12:15 – 13:45 @ Online (link tba) – RSVP

Ready to take your sustainable tech project idea to the next level? Join us for the Prototype Fund Concept Workshops where you can refine your idea, get expert feedback, and exchange with others who share your passion for sustainable digitalization and digital sufficiency – and potentially complement your skills.

Whether you already have an idea or are looking to team up with others, this is a unique opportunity to align your project with the Prototype Fund’s submission criteria and goals.

Concept workshop #1: 06.02.2025, 16:00 – 18:00 @ UZH, Rämistrasse 69, 8001 Zürich – RSVP
Concept workshop #2: 26.02.2025, 12:15 – 13:45 @ Online (link tba) – RSVP

The events are free of charge.

Who Should Attend?

• Innovators, entrepreneurs, developers, researchers, activists, and teams already working on or interested in working on tech sustainability and/or sufficiency projects.
• Those who are looking to refine their ideas, collaborate, and receive constructive feedback.
• Anyone looking to make an active difference at the intersection of technology, ecology, and systemic transformation.

Should I Attend Both Events?

First of all: Attendance of events in the application phase is not mandatory to submit your application. However, both concept workshops seek to help you refine your ideas and prep for submission. The crowd and experts present will differ: While Dr. Mario Angst (Digital Society Initiative, UZH) joins us on 6 Feb, Dr. Leonard Creutzburg (One Planet Lab, WWF) will be our special guest on 26 Feb. Also, since the 26 Feb is hosted online, it might result in little extra effort for you to join both, with the added benefit of working on your idea refinement getting to know like-minded folks.

We love to see you there!

Vergangene Events

Demo Day 2023

23.02.2023, 17:00 @ Fabrique28, Monbijoustrasse 28, Bern, free

More inclusion, sustainability and participation! This year’s projects will present the prototypes they have worked on during the last six months. Be the first to test their open source tools, get to know the teams and meet the community.

Program

17:00 – Intro & Project Pitches

• Bootis enables people with motor disabilities to plan individual trips and thus participate more actively in social life.
• Climate Gains aims to make the financing of Swiss climate projects abroad simpler, more democratic and more efficient, thus contributing to the achievement of Swiss climate goals.
• Crossroads helps students to explore cultural diversity in order to reduce prejudices.
• Demokratis makes it easier for citizens to participate in federal consultation procedures in order to better influence the legislative process.
• ExoDAO wants to decentralize web search towards more privacy, less censorship and better energy efficiency compared to big tech.

18:00 – Project Demos: test the tools, get to know the teams and meet the community

18:45 – Apéro

Event communication partner: SwissDevJobs.ch

Demo Day 2022

24.02.2022, 17:00 – 19:00, online

• With VoteLog, civil society organizations can assess parliamentarians’ voting behavior. The ratings are visualized and help to form public opinion.
• VelObserver is a tool that lets cyclists rate the quality of the cycle paths in their municipality and thereby evaluate its bike-friendliness.
• The Forum for Inclusion is a web platform that lets people without voting rights share their opinions on national votes: with anonymous voice messages.
• Citympact puts a simple tool in the pocket of every Gen Z citizen to make their voice heard on projects and issues affecting their municipality.
• businessresponsibility.ch strengthens transparency and democratic control over the human rights performance of Swiss companies, based on the new non-financial reporting obligation.
• With baloti, people without voting rights can experience Swiss direct democracy through mockup referendum votes in ten languages.

Demo Day 2021

02.03.2021. Did you miss the Demo Day 2021? No problem: You can watch the whole event including the project pitches and the debate on civic tech below.

Civic Tech Debate (Deutsch)

Inputs and interactive discussion with Daniel Graf (WeCollect, PublicBeta), Jörg De Bernardi (Bundeskanzlei) and other friends of democracy

Project pitches and Q&A (English)

smartask develops a platform through which citizens can address questions or concerns directly and publicly to parliamentarians.

FairElection creates a tool for political organisations to select candidates according to their self-chosen criteria of diversity or the diversity of the Swiss population. Everyone can use the tool to simulate the results of a past election by modifying these same diversity criteria.

owlly enables the secure and easy electronic signing, validation and counting of popular initiatives and referendums for campaign platforms and offers a holistic e-collecting approach for Switzerland.

CH+ Games for Democracy uses game mechanics for political self-education and helps voters select their ideal candidates during elections. CH+ is based on co-design and invites users to be part of the design process. 

voty brings democracy to schools and promotes the understanding of democracy among the youth in a sustainable way through three modules: learning  + testing + living democracy.