Apéro Digital: Lectures and discussions at the intersection of technology and society
Apéro Digital is a series of events for people from academia, research, politics and professional practice who are engaged with digitalisation and its societal implications. Each event combines public talks with peer discussion and concludes with a collaboratively produced document that captures the key findings of the evening.
The fifth to seventh editions took place from June 2025 to February 2026 and addressed digitalisation and sustainability, the use of AI in SMEs, and the responsible development of neurotechnologies.
Apéro Digital V: Digitalisation and sustainability
The fifth edition, organised in collaboration with the Zurich Knowledge Center for Sustainable Development (ZKSD), focused on how digitalisation can be reconciled with sustainability goals in the run-up to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30). Participants identified six areas for action: education, strategic planning, accountability, incentives, empowerment, integration and evidence-based policy.
Apéro Digital VI: The use of AI in SMEs
The sixth edition was organised in collaboration with the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW) and focused on small and medium-sized enterprises. The central question was under what conditions SMEs can use AI responsibly. The jointly developed artefact structures the key dimensions across five areas: motivation, strategy, resources, ecosystem and business impact.
Apéro Digital VII: Responsible development of neurotechnologies
The seventh edition brought together perspectives from research, law and industry, highlighting opportunities and challenges in neurotechnology, governance frameworks and responsible corporate practices. The report categorises the societal implications of neurotechnologies along two risk areas: the preservation of cognitive liberty and the protection of brain data. Measures discussed included Ethics-by-Design principles, continuous risk monitoring, Privacy-by-Design and data sovereignty.
Apéro Digital is funded in the first Outreach Call.