A Horizon 2020 project jointly lead by the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) and Instituto Mora

PRODIGEES is a project – jointly lead by the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) and the Mexican Instituto Mora – which is researching the effects of digitalisation on the environment, economy, governance and society throughout 2025. It sits on the cutting edge of research into digitalisation and transnational knowledge cooperation.

The project is supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research program and connects eight countries on five continents in an investigation of digitalisation’s social, governmental, economic, and climatic impacts from local, national, regional and global perspectives.

Even in a pre-COVID19 world, digital technologies were already a powerful tool for achieving the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Now, the global pandemic has exposed the need for more cohesive transnational cooperation networks, and it has provided the imperative for research into digital innovations and their applications.

As of June 2022, the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) is now the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).

News, Publications and Events

News from the PRODIGEES project:

MGG-PRODIGEES Policy Labs an der Universität Stellenbosch, IDOS Newsletter, May 2024
Gemeinsame Konferenz der National School of Government of South Africa und MGG, IDOS Newsletter, May 2024
PRODIGEES research exchanges at IDOS, June 2023
PRODIGEES: Digitalisation and Sustainability, April 2023
Research stay in Jakarta: IDOS researcher Benjamin Stewart looks at Open Science in relation to science policy, March 2023
Research team III of 58th Postgraduate Training Programme enters their last phase of research in Brazil, March 2023
Research team of the Postgraduate Training Programme in Brazil, February 2023
PRODIGEES-Projekt: zwischen Labor und Business School in Brasilien, February 2023
Can artificial intelligence counter growing inequality?, November 2022
MGG-PRODIGEES Authors Workshop with CIFE: Digitalisation Towards Sustainable Development, October 2022
Side Event zu “Utopias of Global Cooperation” beim T20-Gipfel Indonesien 2022, September 2022
PRODIGEES project: visiting scholars at IDOS, August 2022
The German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) changes its name to the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), June 2022
PRODIGEES conferences „The 2030 Agenda and International Training for the Public Sector“, IDOS Newsletter, May 2022
PRODIGEES Workshop “Digitalization and Sustainable Development – Enabling Narratives Towards a Green Digital Transformation”, IDOS Newsletter, May 2022
Call for Abstracts: MGG-PRODIGEES Authors Workshop; deadline April 28, 2022
Call for Applications: MGG-PRODIGEES Fellowship; deadline March 20, 2022 (closed)
Exchange between Mexico City and Bonn, IDOS Newsletter, November 2021
Online event series by MGG Network, PRODIGEES and CIFE continued, IDOS Newsletter, February 2021
New online event series by EU network PRODIGEES on digitalisation and climate change, IDOS Newsletter, January 2021
PRODIGEES – Research, Training, and Staff Exchange on Digitalisation and Sustainability amid Covid-19, Newsletter article, December 2020
How the EU and rising powers can shape their future sustainably by Grimm, Sven / Wulf Reiners / Benjamin Stewart, The Current Column (2020)
Democratic Governance of Digital Platforms and Artificial Intelligence? Exploring Governance Models of China, the US, the EU and Mexico by Schneider, Ingrid, EJournal of EDemocracy and Open Government (2020)
Do follow our project members on their secondment. Search #PRODIGEES on Twitter.

Publications & Digital Knowledge Products:

Shared understanding and beyond: toward a framework for data protection and cross-border data flows, a policy brief by Krishna Ravi Srinivas, Research & Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), Ingrid Schneider, University of Hamburg (UHAM), and Wulf Reiners, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), September 2022
The European Union’s governance approach to tackling disinformation – protection of democracy, foreign influence, and the quest for digital sovereignty, a publication by Matthias Kachelmann and Wulf Reiners, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), 2024
Kommunikation in der Polykrise. Was Wissenschaftskommunikation von konstruktivem Journalismus lernen kann, a column by Sabrina Heuwinkel and Ramona Haegele, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), March 2024
Los costos ambientales de la digitalización, a publication by Simone Lucatello, Instituto Mora (MORA) and Wulf Reiners, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), March 2024
Synergising Digital Public Infrastructure and Digital Commons for Sustainable Development, a publication by Vy Dang, Eva Maria Lynders, Wulf Reiners, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) and Aliasger Bootwalla, Gateway House, March 2024
PRODIGEES Policy Labs: Guiding points for writing our scientific policy advice, by Sven Grimm, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), April 2024
AI for SDG Acceleration – NSG MasterClass in Cooperation with MGG-PRODIGEES, by Sven Grimm, Matthias Kachelmann, Wulf Reiners und Benjamin Stewart, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), July 2024
Synergising DPI and digital commons, a publication by Vy Dang, Eva Maria Lynders, Wulf Reiners, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) and Aliasger Bootwalla, Gateway House, August 2024
Measures to Support Inclusive Access to Information + Information Integrity. Good Practices Brazil, by Anita Breuer, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), August 2024
Eco Tourism, the Amazon, Sustainability, Digitalisation. Synergetic Stories, by Ramona Haegele, Sabrina Heuwinkel, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) and Juliana Mansur, Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV), March 2024
Can we bring digitalisation and the environment together? Agenda and coalitions beyond techno-fix illusions, a Column by Simone Lucatello, Instituto Mora (MORA) and Wulf Reiners, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), February 2024
Organic Açai Farming in the Amazon Region. Synergetic Stories, by Ramona Haegele and Sabrina Heuwinkel, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), February 2024
Sustainable Cocoa Production in the Amazon Region. Synergetic Stories by Ramona Haegele and Sabrina Heuwinkel, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), January 2024
Education and Gender Equality through Sports (SDG 4). Synergetic Stories, by Ramona Haegele and Sabrina Heuwinkel, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), December 2023
Technologies to Protect Global Forests: The Case of Indonesia, a publication by Lorenzo Colantoni, Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), IAI Commentaries 23, November 2023
Technologies to fight global deforestation: the case of Indonesia, a webinar by Lorenzo Colantoni, Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), November 2023
Sustainable and Digital Food Industry in the Amazon Region. Synergetic Stories, by Ramona Haegele and Sabrina Heuwinkel, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), November 2023
Trailer: Synergetic stories on sustainability and digitalisation, by Ramona Haegele and Sabrina Heuwinkel, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), October 2023
Synergising Digital Public Infrastructure and Digital Commons for Sustainable Development, by Vy Dang, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), August 2023
Big ambition meets geopolitics. Are Southern voices and the SDGs the way to success for India’s G20 presidency?, by Vy Dang, Eva Lynders and Wulf Reiners, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), August 2023
What is the Brussels Effect? Data Protection in a Connected World, a podcast with Ingrid Schneider, Universität Hamburg (UHH), August 2023
„Artificial Intelligence“ and social sustainability Ethical principles for AI technologies as solutions for reducing poverty and inequality?, a publication by Johann Čas Institute of Technology Assessment, Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW-ITA), Magazin erwachsenenbildung.at. Das Fachmedium für Forschung, Praxis und Diskurs 49, July 2023
Impressions from the Field Research on the Potential Role of Digitalization in Curbing Food Waste and Loss (FWL), by Ariel Macaspac Hernandez, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), December 2022
How digitalisation and technology empower women working on the ocean and along the Amazon River, a Column by Ramona Haegele (IDOS) and Juliana Mansur (FGV), June 2023
PRODIGEES research stay in Brazil: knowledge production, inequalities, & colonialism, by Ramona Hägele, April 2023
A Case For Open Science In Indonesia: Advancing Digital Literacy, Scientific Infrastructure, and Leadership, a Publication by Benjamin Stewart, April 2023
Digitalisation for Inclusive Development: An Overview of Digital Strategies and Public Policies in the Europe and India, a Publication by Amit Kumar, RIS, April 2023
Building Climate Resilience in Urban Informal Settlements through Data Co-production, a Publication by Giulia Sofia Sarno, IAI, March 2023
“Access to information and open data: Benefits and challenges for Mexican Society”, a Presentation by Anita Breuer, IDOS, Instituto Mora, February 2023
Urban resilience to extreme natural events and climate change: from Brasil to Europe, a Webinar by Giulia Sofia Sarno, December 2022
Can Digital Currencies End Financial Exclusion in Indonesia?, a Webinar by Nicola Bilotta, December 2022
How Open Science can revolutionize global knowledge cooperation, a Column by Benjamin Stewart & Wulf Reiners, November 2022
The 2030 Agenda: It’s Governance, a Blog by Francisco Porras Sanchez, Instituto Mora, November 2022
Can Digital Currencies End Financial Exclusion in Indonesia? Economic Realities and Policy Ambitions, a Publication by Nicola Bilotta, IAI, September 2022
Digital Transformation of agri-food system: policy pathways for greater socio-economic inclusion, sustainability, and international cooperation (t20indonesia.org), a Policy Brief by Amit Kumar et al., RIS, August 2022
Can Digital Currencies End Financial Exclusion in Indonesia? Economic Realities and Policy Ambitions a Presentation by Nicola Bilotta, IAI, August 2022
Complex Systems, Fragility and Security: Challenges for the EU Governance and Its Global Partners in Climate Change and Digitalization by Simone Lucatello, Instituto Mora (MORA), May 2022
Das ferne Echo Europas: Plattformregulierung,Datenschutz und Digitalkultur in Mexiko by Ingrid Schneider, University of Hamburg (UHAM), May 2022
Traveling Waves: The Indonesian Tsunami Warning System – STS Webinar Series #1 by Irina Rafliana, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) and University of Bonn, April 2022
Die Digitalisierungsstrategie der Europäischen Union – Meilensteine und Handlungsfelder zwischen digitaler Souveränität und grüner Transformation by Wulf Reiners, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), 2021
Can digital platforms be democratically regulated? by Ingrid Schneider, University of Hamburg, October 2021
Open Science: Epistemologies, science policy implementation and digitalisation by Benjamin Stewart, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), November 2021
Convergence and divergence in global data protection law, by Ingrid Schneider, University of Hamburg, November 2021
Trade agreements and data protection – Mexico’s position between Europe and the US by Ingrid Schneider; a podcast by Interview Ö1–Austrian public radio
A European Approach to Regulate Artificial Intelligence: Possible Global Impact by Krishna Ravi Srinivas, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), New Delhi
CIFE Executive Training Web Seminar. Climate Change and Digitalisation: setting the context by Dr. Simone Lucatello (2021)
CIFE Executive Training Web Seminar. Climate Change and Digitalisation: the promise and the perils by Dr. Simone Lucatello(2021)
Data protection, AI and digital rights in Mexico: Europe as model of reference? by Ingrid Schneider (2020), Humanistische Union, vorgänge Nr. 231: Zeitschrift für Bürgerrechte und Gesellschaftspolitik
Inteligencia artificial y cambio climático by Gustavo Sosa Núñez (2020), Sin Embargo
How the EU and rising powers can shape their future sustainably by Grimm, Sven / Wulf Reiners / Benjamin Stewart, The Current Column (2020)
Democratic Governance of Digital Platforms and Artificial Intelligence? Exploring Governance Models of China, the US, the EU and Mexico by Schneider, Ingrid, EJournal of EDemocracy and Open Government (2020)
Can digital plataforms be regulated? A Dialogue Between The European Union and México (2020)

PRODIGEES events:

The Politics of Platform Governance: NetzDG, Democracy, and the Regulation of Content Moderation in Germany (and Brazil), a presentation by Laura Fichtner, University of Hamburg (UHAM), April 2023
Platform Regulation in Brazil – Marco Civil and PL2630, a presentation by Laura Fichtner, University of Hamburg (UHAM), June 2023
Women in Entrepreneurship: Examining the Role of Female Leadership in Fostering Sustainable Development Practices, a presentation by Juliana Mansur, FGV EBAPE, August 2023
Navigating the Needs of CBDC: Exploring the Objective and Design of CBDC in the Indonesian Context, a presentation by Adinova Fauri, Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), December 2023
The Role of Digitalisation in South-South Cooperation, a presentation by Citlali Ayala, Instituto Mora, June 2024
Proteção de Dados e a Implementação da LGPD no Brasil, a presentation by Ingrid Schneider, University of Hamburg (UHAM), July 2024
April 28 – May 3, 2024: MGG/PRODIGEES Policy Labs. Digitalisation Towards Sustainable Development, Stellenbosch, South Africa, with SU, IDOS
March 12, 2024: Webinar by Anita Breuer: To Inform and Misinform. The Current Situation of Brazil’s Information Ecosystem with IDOS, FGV
October 2, 2023: Presentation by Ramona Haegele: Workshop on qualitative research in Belém, Brazil during Amazon immersion expedition with FGV
September 27, 2023: Presentation by Vy Dang: Unpacking Digital Public Infrastructure and Digital Commons with IDOS, RIS
August 12, 2023: Presentation by Vy Dang: Unpacking Digital Public Infrastructure with IDOS, RIS
June 07, 2023: Effects of digital platforms on think tanks in Germany and Indonesia by Medelina Hendytio with CSIS, IDOS
May 25, 2023: Sustainable digitalisation in the Brazilian public sector by Mara Braun, Laura Donath, Sven Grimm, Sophia Hoerbelt, Sophie Lampert, Wulf Reiners, and Marcel Wich, IDOS
May 11, 2023: PhD Colloquium Presentation by Benjamin Stewart: Making sense of science policy discourses in different world regions – IDOS
May 5, 2023: Presentation by Benjamin Stewart: Regional Open Science policy implementation: snapshots from science and technology regimes in Germany, Indonesia and Mexico with the Global Young Academy (GYA)
April, 13, 2023: Braun, Donath, Grimm, Hoerbelt, Lampert, Reiners, Wich: Sustainability and Digitalization in Brazil with IDOS, FGV
April, 7 2023: Presentation by Braun, Donath, Grimm, Hoerbelt, Lampert, Reiners, Wich: Sustainable Digitalisation in the Civil Service in Brazil with IDOS, FGV
March 13, 2023: Presentation by Benjamin Stewart on The State of Open Science in Indonesia: a preliminary analysis of digitalisation and science systems with IDOS, CSIS
March 8, 2023: Presentation by Benjamin Stewart, IDOS, on Socio-Cultural and Global Challenge in Organization, with IDOS, Jakarta Polytech, LAN NIPA
October 19, 2022 – Presentation by Francisco Porras Sanchez of Instituto Mora, Society, Digitalisation, and Technological Change (SODICAT) with the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)
September 21-24, 2022 – MGG-PRODIGEES Authors Workshop with CIFE
August 26, 2022 – Presentation by Nicola Bilotta of Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), Can Digital Currencies End Financial Exclusion in Indonesia? Economic Realities and Policy Ambitions with the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
May 10, 2022 – Hybrid Peer-Exchange by Judith Boeckle of DIE, Sustainability and International Training for Civil Servants—Local Leadership, with Instituto Mora.
May 4, 2022 – PRODIGEES Roundtable Discussions by Wulf Reiners of DIE, Digitalization and Sustainable Development – Enabling Narratives Towards a Green Digital Transformation with Instituto Mora
April 13, 2022 – Presentation by Irina Rafliana, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) and University of Bonn on Traveling Waves: The Indonesian Tsunami Warning System – STS Webinar Series #1, with Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional) (BRIN) and coordinated through the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
April 5, 2022 – Panel discussion of UNESCO’s A Safe Ocean | Core Event | 5th #OceanDecade Laboratory, featuring Irina Rafliana, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) and University of Bonn
March 28, 2023: Presentation by Johann Čas: Artificial intelligence“ and social sustainability – Approaches on the EU, with ITA- ÖAW
March 23, 2022 – Presentation by Ingrid Schneider, University of Hamburg on Democratic Governance of Digital Platforms and AI, with Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV)
February 22, 2022 – Steering Committee Meeting (Setting the 2022 Agenda)
January 25, 2023: Presentation by Johann Čas: „Artificial Intelligence“ and social sustainability Ethical principles for AI technologies as solutions for reducing poverty and inequality? with ITA- ÖAW, FGV
January 24, 2023: Presentation by Ingrid Schneider: Digital Sovereignty and Data Governance in Times of Geopolitical Rivalry with UHAM, RIS
December 14, 2022: Presentation by Ariel Macaspac Hernandez: Impressions from the Field Research on the Potential Role of Digitalization in Curbing Food Waste and Loss (FWL) with IDOS, FGV
October 1, 2021 – Presentation by Ingrid Schneider, University of Hamburg onCan digital platforms be democratically regulated? with Fundação Getulio Vargas, Brazil
November 16, 2021 – Presentation by Benjamin Stewart, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) on Open Science: Epistemologies, science policy implementation and digitalisation with Instituto Mora, Mexico City
November 25, 2021 – Presentation by Ingrid Schneider, University of Hamburg on Convergence and divergence in global data protection law with King’s College London
December 7, 2021 – Presentation by Simone Lucatello, Instituto Mora on Digitalisation and Sustainability with the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)
June 15, 2021 – Midterm Review Meeting with European Commission
May 10-12, 2021 – Presentation by Ingrid Schneider for the session, “Taming Digital Capitalism – But How?” at the NTA9-TA21 conference “Digital, direct, democratic? Technology Assessment and the Future of Democracy” at the Austrian Academy of Sciences – Institute of Technology Assessment (OEAW-ITA), Vienna
April 13, 2021 – Steering Committee Meeting (Setting the 2021 Agenda)
New online event series by EU network PRODIGEES on digitalisation and climate change
February 23, 2021 @ 15:15 CET – Global citizenship and digital learning. A workshop presented by MGG & PRODIGEES for the digitainable Forum with the Bonn Sustainability Alliance.
February 17, 2021 – Digital but Still Unequal, with Dr. Juan Carlos Domínguez Virgen. A webinar in collaboration with CIFE.
January 21, 2021 – Climate Change and Digitalisation. socio-economic and environmental dynamics in communities, Webinar in collaboration with Centre International de Formation Européenne (CIFE)
December 15, 2020 – Steering Committee Meeting (Setting the 2021 Agenda)
December 10, 2020 – Climate change and digitalization. Setting the context, Webinar in collaboration with Centre International de Formation Européenne (CIFE)
November 12, 2020 – Digital, but still Unequal: the Challenges of Digitalisation for Emerging Powers – Mexico, Virtual Workshop
May 27, 2020 – Steering Committee Meeting (Response to Covid-19)
March 30, 2020 – PRODIGEES – Digitalisation and Sustainability, Virtual Kickoff Meeting of the project

Digital technologies are understood to belong to the most powerful facilitators for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the same time, the digital transformation will only be successful if it is socially accepted and fosters sustainable and equitable growth. Understanding and shaping the interdependencies between digitalisation and sustainability belongs to the key challenges of the digital era.

Through the exchange of staff and network-wide activities, PRODIGEES strengthens long-term research partnerships between Europe and Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico and South Africa for transnational knowledge sharing on the interconnection of digitalisation and sustainability.

At the heart of the project is complementary and comparative research in different world regions. We want to generate a better understanding of how economic growth, government services, transparency, climate management and the availability of financial services can be improved through digitalisation. We also explore the challenges posed by its negative effects, such as labor displacement, increased inequalities, power asymmetries between states and digital platforms and questions of cyber security and privacy concerns.

PRODIGEES is carried out over five-and-a-half years, from January 1, 2020 to June 30, 2025. During this time period, researchers embark on ‘secondments’, which are staff exchanges between partner institutes within the PRODIGEES Consortium countries. The results of PRODIGEES secondments are made available through this website, as well as on social media and in our Zenodo online repository (see below). All PRODIGEES content is published as open access.