Foreword
For how long have people been saying that the next ten years will be crucial in a world being transformed by the effects of technology?
In the picture from left to right: Prof. Benoît Dubuis (President), Dr Esther Koller (Executive Director)
Forever – and they will keep saying it forever because technological development has become autocatalytic, particularly because the applications of technology broke through sectoral boundaries a long time ago. Blockchain was developed for the world of finance, but is being used in medicine; drones were developed for surveillance, but are assisting farmers; AI for search engines, but we encounter it in everyday life, taking the place of the people we usually talk to in information services.
Should we be concerned at this surreptitious and insidious intrusion of technology into the very heart of our lives? While we prefer to see opportunities that will help us in our tasks and lives, these advances nevertheless deserve our attention so that we can ensure technology is integrated in a way that has been carefully thought through and shows concern and respect for humans, social cohesion and the Earth that is our shared home.
SATW is committed to investing in a new generation of professionals qualified to support technological development, to the social and economic advancement of our country by safeguarding the development and availability of technology and controlling its impact on our society and environment.
To do this, SATW operates an impressive network of experts, who share their expertise, vision, time and networks to further our studies and meetings. As a neutral, independent and global organisation, SATW is dedicated to the service of our society, economy and country, helping position Switzerland in a technological universe that is taking shape with us.