Becoming a Tech Trendscout - in ten easy steps

Second Edition of Tech Trendscouting Toolkit has been launched at World Summit Awards in Vienna

VIENNA, 10 March 2020

Make-IT’s second edition of the Tech Trendscouting Toolkit has been launched at this years World Summit Award in Vienna. It was edited and published in cooperation with Mr. Alexander Felsenberg - the chairman of the German WSA Nomination Committee. The toolkit is a ten step instruction on how to become and maintain to be a tech trendscout.

Why tech trendscouting matters

Digital technologies change the way we live, interact and work. The impact of digital technologies can be transformative when the benefits of innovation strengthen society rather than individuals. Many organisations look for such promising digital social innovations, which have the potential to contribute to greater economic and financial inclusion, increased political participation, better healthcare, smart urban development, etc.

Inspiring creative entrepreneurship, connecting partners in a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem and developing new solutions for sustainable and inclusive development are goals shared by the World Summit Awards (WSA) and Make-IT in Africa, an initia-tive implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

As innovation cannot happen in isolation, trendscouting is key for inspiration and shaping future innovation. Therefore, WSA and Make-IT in Africa both collaborate with local partners and eco-system experts to identify important new solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. We reach out to business and finance partners, mentors, jurors, speakers, experts, government leaders, academia and civil society. Their expertise, networks and continuous support for entrepreneurs among their communities shape inno-vation ecosystems.In Africa, innovation ecosystems develop at a stunning pace. How-ever, the international visibility of African entrepreneurs is still limited. Identifying and improving the international visibility of Foreword to the 2nd Edition.

Their products to international business and financing partners make a real difference. Therefore, supported by the Global Innovation Gathering (GIG) network, we collaborated with Konnektiv to develop the first edition of a Tech Trendscouting Toolkit for Social Impact in African countries, to showcase best practice and improve trendscouting across the continent. The WSA has 15 years of experience in the field of tech trendscouting. In order to make this wealth of experience freely available to everyone, we collaborated with Alexander Felsenberg, Chairman of the German WSA Nomination Committee to incorporate additional tools and experience into the toolkit. Our special thanks go to all the WSA experts who dedicated time for contributing and sharing their knowledge and experience with us.

About the WSA

The World Summit Awards (WSA) are a unique awards system, selecting and promoting local digital innovation with high impact on improving society. Combining an ongoing series of international events and activities with a global network of start-ups, social entrepreneurs, mentors, jurors, speakers, experts, government leaders, academia and civil society, WSA is an international platform for cut edge examples on how ICTs can have an impact on society. Running 15 years by now, WSA has become a quality seal for digital content with societal impact in over 180 participating countries

WSA: Cooperation with Make-IT in Africa