(c) Tina Gangoly-Madl
Schlaining/Austria: The PeaceTech Alliance, coordinated by the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and supported by a growing network of national and international partners, convened a multi-stakeholder dialogue on PeaceTech at the Austrian Forum for Peace — bringing together voices from peacebuilding organisations, international organizations, digitalization experts, research, government sector, academia, the creative industries, and civil society to explore how ethical, human-centric digital technologies for peace could be shaped to avoid potential conflicts and identify cross-sectoral priorities for future research in this context..
This event followed the PeaceTech Alliance’s launch at the International Digital Security Forum (IDSF) 2025 and builds on its goal of creating a global platform for dialogue, grounded in Austria’s convening role and values of neutrality, trust, and multilateral cooperation.
Held inside the iconic Peace Castle in Schlaining – a place long associated with Austria’s peacebuilding tradition – the dialogue marked the beginning of a new conversation. Rooted in values like neutrality, trust, inclusion, and multilateralism, the event focused on how technology can support peace in practical, ethical, and grounded ways.
Organised under the banner “The Blueprint: Austria’s Vision for PeaceTech,” the PeaceTech Alliance – in association with the Austrian Centre for Peace – convened a broad mix of contributors to open a reflective dialogue on PeaceTech. Rather than framing it as a trend, the event explored PeaceTech as a practical, people-centred field of innovation, shaped by real-world experience across multiple sectors.
Nathan Coyle, PeaceTech Alliance Lead and Senior PeaceTech Advisor at AIT Austrian Institute of Technology said: “As far as I’m aware, this is the first time people from the public sector , academia, research, the peacebuilding community, and the third sector have come together in Austria to reflect collectively and independently on what PeaceTech actually is – and how we might shape it from the ground up. For me, as Lead of the PeaceTech Alliance, this creates a vital starting point – grounded in the knowledge, values, and lived experience of those already doing the work across the country.”
Drafting a Multi-Sector, Bottom-Up Approach to PeaceTech made in Austria
There was a strong sense that the dialogue brought together perspectives capable of offering something distinctive: a space for trust-based collaboration, where new ideas can be tested carefully and ethically. Equally, participants emphasised that this conversation must be shaped by diverse, cross-sector actors – not imposed from above.
“This is only the beginning. The Austrian peacebuilding community believes that Austria has the momentum to lead in PeaceTech – not by emulating others, but by building something grounded, inclusive, and truly our own. As someone who doesn’t come from the tech world but has spent significant time in conflict and post-conflict settings, I’ve seen first-hand where the skills gaps are, and where technology can genuinely support peace work. The conversations we had – and the steps we could take next – are crucial if PeaceTech is to truly add value to what we do.”, Astrid Holzinger, Austrian Centre for Peace.
"In a global context, modern digital technologies and services require a new understanding of sustainable sovereignty and availability beyond mainstream markets. On the one hand, global technological development must adhere to ethical guidelines in order to avoid potential conflicts. On the other hand, state-of-the-art digital systems must also be utilized effectively for global peace processes. With the PeaceTech Alliance, we are creating a fundamental platform for the essential exchange of ideas between all stakeholders involved – from research and development to application," says Helmut Leopold, Head of Center for Digital Safety & Security, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology.
Rather than outlining a fixed roadmap, the process emerging from this exchange is collaborative and grounded in lived experience, shaped by those already working across peacebuilding, technology, research, policy, and the arts. The aim is to foster an approach informed by practice, open to international exchange, and reflective of the values guiding those involved with the PeaceTech Alliance.
What’s Next for the PeaceTech Alliance
The dialogue also surfaced several areas where further research and collaboration are urgently needed. Participants highlighted the lack of targeted digital technology development to support critical peace-focused efforts – such as international missions, mediation, or crisis response – noting that current market dynamics often leave this space underdeveloped by the private sector. There was also strong emphasis on data sovereignty as a pressing concern, with many calling for deeper investigation into ethical, decentralised approaches to data governance in order to prevent emerging digital conflicts and reinforce trust in peace-oriented technologies.
The PeaceTech Alliance will take this agenda forward through public consultations, pilot initiatives, and European collaboration.
An open-source publication capturing the Blueprint’s outcomes will be released in the coming weeks – designed to inform, provoke, and be built upon by practitioners, policymakers, creatives, and technologists alike.
The PeaceTech Alliance invites institutions, researchers, and peacebuilders to follow its progress at https://www.peacetech-alliance.com/.
About PeaceTech Alliance
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, emphasizing the need for collective vigilance. The PeaceTech Alliance aims to craft narratives on PeaceTech in collaboration with creators and users, complementing projects at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. This platform offers practical insights via blogs, podcasts, and toolkits. Additionally, digital projects to support peacebuilders are being developed, enabling them to continue their impactful work in global communities that need them the most.
This initiative strives to make PeaceTech accessible to those who will put it into practice, serves as a platform to champion the individuals dedicated to PeaceTech and digital peacebuilding, and fosters vibrant communities by uniting experts with on‑the‑ground practitioners. https://www.peacetech-alliance.com/
Contact:
Michael W. Mürling, MA AI4Gov
Marketing and Communications
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology
Center for Digital Safety & Security
T +43 (0)50550-4126
michael.muerling(at)ait.ac.at I www.ait.ac.at
Mag. Michael H. Hlava
Head of Corporate and Marketing Communications
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology
T +43 (0)50550-4014
michael.hlava(at)ait.ac.at I www.ait.ac.at