Special Report

People’s Technology

We look at some of the projects and individuals across Europe using technology in an imaginative way to solve social problems

© Chris Bianchi
Germany’s Cyber Valley aims to become leading AI hub

Meet the first recruits of a venture to change German business culture

Warsaw, Tallinn and Prague harbour fintech-hub ambitions

Many central European cities are vying to lure coders and entrepreneurs

New Europe 100: eastern Europe’s emerging technology stars

The challengers were selected by Res Publica, Google, Visegrad Fund and the Financial Times

Hull launches its own ‘social’ cryptocurrency

Volunteers who earn HullCoins are rewarded with discounts at local shops

The world watches Reykjavik’s digital democracy experiment

A bespoke portal lets more people connect with government

Europe’s €77bn research budget in the spotlight

The Horizon 2020 programme is shifting its focus

More from this Special Report

Robot workshops teach coding basics to Polish children

A Warsaw start-up wants to change the way schools teach science

Boot camp rebels: developers quit corporate careers

Disappointed with “big tech”, coders are starting social impact start-ups

Barcelona: smart city revolution in progress

The Spanish metropolis is rethinking the way it uses the internet of things

Meet the “connected cow”

Dairy herds are being connected to sensors and mobile phones

The difference between innovators and entrepreneurs

Turning ideas into thriving businesses is beyond many inventors but support is at hand

A training course to get 1m mothers coding

Sue Black is on a mission to empower women with technology skills

Digital transformation will be dramatic and painful

Our concern is that a few powerful investors and corporations could dictate life on earth

Disability tech goes mainstream

‘Assistive technologies’ are no longer a costly afterthought but an integral element in the design of products

Open data is shaking up civic life in eastern Europe

Technology that improves access to public data empowers citizens and activists

Number of European ‘tech for good’ projects doubles

Digital social initiatives are growing but need more money and skills to go mainstream

DJ system powered by solar panels and bikes

The collective Solar Sound System is using fun to spread the renewables message

Migrant crisis triggers a wave of tech innovation

Start-ups are stepping in to help with housing, translation and education

Catalan start-up uses drones to teach students

The tools give teachers a resource to engage pupils in developing their technical skills

Data analysis and fish waste make urban farms viable

Brexit boosts business in ex-bomb shelter that controls plants’ every growth variable

Tech must be the servant rather than the master

People and communities are putting new technologies to use in solving social problems

Polish activists turn to digital democracy

Protesters bring apps and data into the battle against tree-felling, fake news and corruption

How Catalan villages built own broadband networks

High-speed internet is as essential as water and electricity say farmers and hotels

Grassroots groups use ‘internet of things’ data to tackle damp and noise

Data-collecting gadgets help people hold authorities to account

‘Tech for good’ investors find they can also make good returns

Business accelerators, although run for profit, are also committed to making a positive impact on society

Solar-powered cell has potential to save the black rhino

Dutch innovators seek to solve the battery problem facing the internet of things