Civic Tech Summit is an international event for civil society representatives, the IT sector, business, and the state around an important topic — the synergy of civil and technological solutions.
The inception of the 1991 Civic Tech Center in 2018 was prompted by the accelerating growth of the civic tech landscape in Ukraine and the broader Central and Eastern European (CEE) region. As civic tech gained traction, SocialBoost, in collaboration with the Luminate philanthropic fund, recognized the need for a dedicated hub. This hub aimed to catalyze civic tech projects, foster community collaboration, and navigate the evolving intersection of technology, governance, and civic engagement.
The Civic Tech Summit emerged as the hallmark event hosted by the 1991 Civic Tech Center. In 2018, change drivers from Govtech Poland, e-Governance Academy, and DataFest Tbilisi shared insights into leveraging technology to reshape government images and open data's pivotal role in civic tech services. The summit served as a platform for local success stories, fostering collaboration among NGOs, startups, government officials, and international stakeholders.
Evolving into an annual global event, the Civic Tech Summit of 2020 attracted over 1000 participants online, featuring 35 esteemed speakers. The summit delved into diverse topics such as human-centered design in civic technology, the symbiotic relationship between civic society, government, and startups, and strategies for transforming failures into successes.
The impact of the Civic Tech Summit reverberated globally, showcasing the transformative power of civic tech ideas. The summit became a nexus for insightful discussions and collaborative initiatives with participants spanning non-governmental organizations, startups, government officials, international organizations, investment funds, and media across the CEE region.
The 2020 edition, facilitated by the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Facility and SocialBoost, not only exceeded expectations in terms of participation but also celebrated the achievements of the Ukrainian-German mentoring program Civic Tech Sisters. The summit stood as a testament to the growing influence of civic tech in shaping the future of societies and fostering meaningful dialogue at the intersection of technology and civic engagement.
