IE University has partnered with the U.S. Department of State to implement the Tech4Democracy initiative in 2022. Today, IE University (represented by Provost Manuel Muñiz) and the U.S. Department of State (represented by U.S. Ambassador to Spain Julissa Reynoso) signed an agreement at IE Tower in Madrid to officially kick off the initiative.
Following the White House’s Summit for Democracy, Tech4Democracy will contribute to the Summit’s “Year of Action” by identifying and connecting entrepreneurs around the world who build and advance democracy-affirming technologies. This will be achieved through a series of startup/scaleup competitions, as well as a line of applied research that aims to anticipate the future technological needs of our democracies.
“The MOU that Provost Muñiz and I signed today shows IE University’s commitment to the values that President Biden and the Summit for Democracy are advancing, which it does through the original, groundbreaking Tech4Democracy Challenge,” said U.S. Ambassador to Spain Julissa Reynoso. “We know that new technologies can move society forward, and IE’s project calls upon the most innovative and creative sector to do so: the social entrepreneur,” she added.
“Tech4Democracy will help us identify and highlight technologies that advance democratic values and norms. This is a key challenge as emerging technologies become ever more central to our societies and economies. We need to make sure that technological advancement is a tool for the enhancement of freedom, equality, and inclusion,” said IE University Provost Manuel Muñiz.
“Academic institutions, as conveners of talent and seats of innovation, must play their part. This is what IE University is doing with this initiative.”
Manuel Muñiz, IE University Provost
Tech4Democracy consists of two interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars:
The Tech4Democracy initiative is being implemented by three IE University centers: IE’s Center for the Governance of Change (CGC), IE’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, and IE’s PublicTech Lab. The CGC is the coordinator of the initiative and the point of contact with the U.S. State Department.
Chat with one of our students to hear about their experiences firsthand.
Find out more about the entry requirements to come to IE University.
We hold frequent informational events for parents and prospective students.