Let's face it, peacebuilders and third-sector workers in fragile states aren't always digitally savvy, and mechanisms need to be put in place to make PeaceTech more human-centric. The PeaceTech Alliance aims to do just that, but collectively, giving peacebuilders the opportunity to set the agenda.
We unite diverse stakeholders to co-create projects and host events that connect policy, technology, and grassroots peacebuilding efforts.
We embrace open-source technologies to foster transparency, innovation, and accessibility, empowering communities to enhance peacebuilding tools.
We craft compelling narratives that influence policy and guide organisations in creating policies that promote lasting peace and technological progress.
We harness cutting-edge technologies to deliver sustainable, scalable solutions that advance transparency and drive peacebuilding globally.
To truly make PeaceTech accessible, we must incorporate diverse voices – from tech experts to field workers who might not be tech-savvy. This inclusivity is key for creating cohesive, universally applicable, and user-friendly PeaceTech. That's why, at the Austrian Institute of Technology, we established the PeaceTech Alliance . It aims to facilitate discussions, collaborations, and the sharing of best practices among field workers. Here's our approach to achieving this goal:
We believe true accessibility of PeaceTech requires a community-centered approach. While decision-makers, peace foundations, and academics engage in discussions and project developments, it's vital to involve those who would actually use this technology. Incorporating the input of on-ground actors in identifying needs and practical usage is essential.
A community-oriented strategy is equally crucial to uncover the drawbacks of PeaceTech and, importantly, to learn from these mistakes. Our goal is to unite individuals and establish an online community focusing on PeaceTech. Just as the Civic Tech movement attracted volunteers to address urban needs using digital skills, we foresee a similar movement within digital peacebuilding.
Creativity is a powerful force, and employing innovative outreach strategies to promote usability within PeaceTech is a formidable tool. On our platform, you'll discover an array of blogs, project profiles, and our podcast. This is a dedicated space to celebrate individuals utilizing technology for peacebuilding, offering us all an opportunity to learn from their experiences, processes, and even the aspects that didn't go as planned.
Beyond our current PeaceTech projects, we are committed to cultivating fresh opportunities in this space. In addition to serving as an innovation lab, expect updates on hackathons, diverse events, and toolkits within this space.
The people who work for peace in global communities, regardless of whether that is government, third sector or activist, are not digital experts. Their expertise lies in community development, understanding how to make their communities more resilient, and bringing people together to create cohesion and consensus. Based on our research, the third sector disconnects from outreach if it is too technical and jargon-laced. As PeaceTech grows, we need to learn from this and ensure it does not happen here.
The PeaceTech Alliance brings together those working in peace and security and enables them to set the agenda, via events, projects, and research, which we use to take a co-designed approach to influence global policy and strategy by sharing this work with an open-source mentality.
Technology holds incredible potential for peacebuilding: spanning from conflict prevention and addressing AI biases to understanding migration and enhancing the capacity of on-ground organisations. However, it also comes with its pitfalls, emphasising the need for collective vigilance.
This initiative aims to craft narratives on PeaceTech in collaboration with creators and users, complementing our projects at the AIT. Through this platform, you'll discover practical insights via blogs, podcasts, and toolkits. Additionally, we're developing digital projects to support peacebuilders, enabling them to continue their impactful work in global communities that need them the most.
The AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, a European leader in research, is dedicated to addressing crucial infrastructure challenges. As a bridge between industry and public institutions, AIT is pioneering innovative technologies, methods, and tools.
With a focus on future-oriented solutions, AIT is shaping the tomorrow of industries in Austria and beyond. While rooted in Austria, AIT's global perspective is evident in its contributions to peace technology through the PeaceTech Alliance.
This international focus aligns perfectly with AIT's motto "Tomorrow Today," as the institute strives to create a better future by addressing the challenges of the present.
Join a collective dedicated to making Peace Tech accessible to those who need it the most — the individuals and organisations working tirelessly in communities around the world to foster peace and change.
About us
What is important to us
Through our networks—including the European Union, United Nations, OSCE, and African Union—we connect global influence with local insight. But the most important voices are those of grassroots peacebuilders. Our work centres lived experience, not institutional agendas, and prioritises those too often left out of digital conversations.
We create inclusive spaces where civic actors, technologists, and frontline mediators co-develop PeaceTech strategies that are practical, trusted, and shaped by those most affected. This is how we shift the agenda—from something built for communities to something built with them.
PeaceTech must be usable, not just impressive. Our work is co-designed with peacebuilders, communities, and civil society to ensure tools are understandable, adaptable, and grounded in daily realities. Innovation means little if it excludes the people it claims to serve.
We focus on open-source tools, multilingual resources, and decentralised systems that reflect actual needs. Accessibility is not an afterthought—it’s the foundation of practical peacebuilding. We work alongside those most affected to develop tools they can trust, apply, and shape for their own goals, on their own terms.
Peacebuilders deserve control over the technologies and data that affect them. Our work supports decentralised infrastructure that prioritises local ownership, protects digital rights, and reflects peacebuilders’ lived realities—not just technical requirements.
Austria’s leadership in Gaia-X offers a strong foundation, but real sovereignty comes from collaboration. We co-develop ethical approaches with civic actors and mediators to ensure tools serve communities, not institutions. Data use must be rooted in consent, dignity, and trust. The power to shape, store, and share data must belong to those it impacts most.
Looking outward
The AIT Austrian Institute of Technology is Austria’s largest research and technology organization and a key contributor to Europe’s digital and security infrastructure. At the AIT Center for Digital Safety & Security, we develop future-facing technologies that enable secure, ethical, and trustworthy systems in an increasingly connected world. As AI, IoT, and biometric systems reshape societies, our work is grounded in a commitment to human dignity, transparency, and long-term resilience.
AIT is internationally recognised for its leadership in digital sovereignty and decentralised infrastructure, including through its coordination of Gaia-X Austria. We bring this experience into new domains through initiatives like the PeaceTech Alliance, which offers a collaborative space for researchers, peacebuilders, and technologists to co-create solutions that serve conflict prevention, digital inclusion, and peacebuilding.
Though firmly anchored in Austria’s values of neutrality and multilateralism, our outlook is global. AIT's research contributes to international peace and digital governance dialogues, including through the International Digital Security Forum (IDSF), which champions responsible, human-centric innovation. With initiatives like the PeaceTech Alliance, we aim to empower peacebuilders—especially those underrepresented in global tech systems—with the tools, knowledge, and shared platforms they need to drive change in their own contexts.
From Vienna to vulnerable regions across the globe, we are committed to ensuring that emerging technologies work for people, not just systems—by building trust, promoting local ownership, and advancing digital tools that support peaceful, inclusive futures.
activating communities
At the PeaceTech Alliance, we are shaping the future of ethical, interoperable data spaces to support peacebuilding — grounded in the human-centric principles championed by Gaia-X and the European digital agenda. In fragile and conflict-affected settings, data infrastructure must do more than store information — it must empower communities, safeguard dignity, and support local ownership.
This vision draws heavily from the civic tech movement, which has shown how open, community-driven technology can enable transparency, collaboration, and real-world impact. Civic tech succeeded by making complex systems understandable and usable — and we believe PeaceTech must do the same, especially when building data infrastructures for reconciliation, conflict resolution, and social cohesion.
The PeaceTech Alliance organises workshops, events, and meetups to connect peacebuilders with tech practitioners, fostering co-creation and capacity building. Working with partners such as the Open Knowledge Foundation, we aim to ensure that the systems we build are not only technically robust, but also inclusive, context-aware, and shaped by the people who rely on them.
By anchoring PeaceTech in the values of data sovereignty, interoperability, and trust, we’re creating digital ecosystems that reflect the needs of peacebuilders — and that are truly built for peace.
The Center of Digital Safety & Security at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology is committed to developing state-of-the-art information and communication technologies to ensure that today’s digital systems are highly secure and reliable in the context of comprehensive digitization and global networking. Based in Vienna, AIT pioneers innovative solutions that address global challenges. By contributing to the development and implementation of PeaceTech solutions and fostering collaboration between researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, AIT is shaping a future where technology is a force for good. Learn more about us: ait.ac.at/dss & gaia-x.at
Nathan Coyle is a tech-for-good expert, specialising in Peace Tech and digital development. He has worked with governments globally to enhance their digital outreach, and is a Fellow at The Royal Society of Arts. Nathan has contributed to publications like The Guardian and authored 'Open Data for Everybody'. He is a TEDx speaker and advocates for social tech across Europe, he also won Thought Leader of the Year Award at the UK Innovation Awards 2024.
Helmut Leopold has over 30 years of experience in digitalisation, currently heading the Center for Digital Safety & Security at the AIT. He played a key role in Austria’s broadband introduction and has received international awards for his innovation in digital technologies. He has held leadership roles in numerous international technology forums.
Mario Drobics is the Head of Competence Unit for Cooperative Digital Technologies at AIT, focusing on interoperability, security, IoT, and data analysis. With a PhD in Applied Mathematics, he leads research in fields like public safety and health, and chairs working groups on IoT security and AI.
Michael Mürling has more than 20 years of experience as a communications officer and marketing professional in the Austrian high-tech sector. He is head of the marketing and communications division at AIT´s Center for Digital Safety & Security. Michael is a graduate of the European Union-funded AI4Gov Master’s programme run by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and Politecnico di Milano, which focuses on future leaders of digital transformation for the increased development and adoption of AI in the public sector. He also holds a Master’s degree in communication economics and management.
Philipp Agathonos is the Austrian Ambassador to Vietnam, specialising in EU integration, security policy, civilian crisis management, and new technologies. With a background in political science, he has held diplomatic posts in Brussels, Beijing, and Vienna, and focuses on peacebuilding and cyber security.