Special ReportPeople’s TechnologyWe look at some of the projects and individuals across Europe using technology in an imaginative way to solve social problems© Chris BianchiGermany’s Cyber Valley aims to become leading AI hubMeet the first recruits of a venture to change German business cultureWarsaw, Tallinn and Prague harbour fintech-hub ambitionsMany central European cities are vying to lure coders and entrepreneursNew Europe 100: eastern Europe’s emerging technology starsThe challengers were selected by Res Publica, Google, Visegrad Fund and the Financial TimesHull launches its own ‘social’ cryptocurrencyVolunteers who earn HullCoins are rewarded with discounts at local shopsThe world watches Reykjavik’s digital democracy experimentA bespoke portal lets more people connect with governmentEurope’s €77bn research budget in the spotlightThe Horizon 2020 programme is shifting its focusMore from this Special ReportRobot workshops teach coding basics to Polish childrenA Warsaw start-up wants to change the way schools teach scienceBoot camp rebels: tech developers quit corporate careersDisappointed with “big tech”, coders are starting social impact start-upsBarcelona: smart city revolution in progressThe Spanish metropolis is rethinking the way it uses the internet of thingsMeet the “connected cow”Dairy herds are being connected to sensors and mobile phonesThe difference between innovators and entrepreneursTurning ideas into thriving businesses is beyond many inventors but support is at handA training course to get 1m mothers codingSue Black is on a mission to empower women with technology skillsDigital transformation will be dramatic and painfulOur concern is that a few powerful investors and corporations could dictate life on earthDisability tech goes mainstream‘Assistive technologies’ are no longer a costly afterthought but an integral element in the design of productsOpen data is shaking up civic life in eastern EuropeTechnology that improves access to public data empowers citizens and activistsNumber of European ‘tech for good’ projects doubles in two yearsDigital social initiatives are growing but need more money and skills to go mainstreamDJ system powered by solar panels and bikesThe collective Solar Sound System is using fun to spread the renewables messageMigrant crisis triggers a wave of tech innovationStart-ups are stepping in to help with housing, translation and educationCatalan start-up uses drones to teach students scienceThe tools give teachers a resource to engage pupils in developing their technical skillsData analysis, tech and fish waste make urban farms viableBrexit boosts business in ex-bomb shelter that controls plants’ every growth variableTech must be the servant rather than the masterPeople and communities are putting new technologies to use in solving social problemsPolish activists turn to digital democracyProtesters bring apps and data into the battle against tree-felling, fake news and corruptionHow Catalan villages built independent broadband networksHigh-speed internet is as essential as water and electricity say farmers and hotelsGrassroots groups use ‘internet of things’ data to tackle damp and noiseData-collecting gadgets help people hold authorities to account‘Tech for good’ investors find they can also make good returnsBusiness accelerators, although run for profit, are also committed to making a positive impact on societySolar-powered cell has potential to save the black rhinoDutch innovators seek to solve the battery problem facing the internet of things
