Promoting Research on Digitalisation in Emerging Powers and Europe towards Sustainable Development

Projektinformationen

PRODIGEES

ID Finanzhilfevereinbarung: 873119

DOI

10.3030/873119

Projekt abgeschlossen

EK-Unterschriftsdatum 27 November 2019

Startdatum 1 Januar 2020

Enddatum 30 Juni 2025

Finanziert unter

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Gesamtkosten

€ 910 800,00

EU-Beitrag

€ 749 800,00

Koordiniert durch

DEUTSCHES INSTITUT FUR ENTWICKLUNGUND NACHHALTIGKEIT GEMEINNUTZIGE GESELLSCHAFT MIT BESCHRANKTER HAFTUNG
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - PRODIGEES (Promoting Research on Digitalisation in Emerging Powers and Europe towards Sustainable Development)

Berichtszeitraum: 2023-07-01 bis 2025-06-30

Zusammenfassung vom Kontext und den Gesamtzielen des Projekts

The PRODIGEES project (Promoting Research on Digitalisation in Emerging Powers and Europe Towards Sustainable Development) addressed a key challenge of our time: understanding how digitalisation can support — or undermine — the global pursuit of sustainable development. Digitalisation affects nearly every sector of society, influencing economic, social, environmental, and political processes. These transformations carry both opportunities and risks — from AI and digital governance to the digital economy’s impact on inequality and climate change.

Funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA-RISE), PRODIGEES built a global research network of ten leading institutions across Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. It fostered long-term partnerships to understand how digitalisation can help achieve the UN 2030 Agenda while mitigating negative effects.

The project’s objectives were to:
• Deepen understanding of digitalisation’s impacts on governance, society, economy, and environment.
• Promote policies and technologies aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Strengthen researcher careers through international exchanges.
• Advance public awareness through open-access trainings, digital knowledge products, and science communication.
• Enhance cooperation and knowledge-sharing between Europe and emerging powers.
• Reinforce the EU’s position as a hub for science, innovation, and standard-setting.

Despite challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the project successfully engaged academia, policymakers, and civil society in shaping digital transformation towards more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable futures. PRODIGEES leaves behind stronger international partnerships, a robust body of research, and practical guidance for those working at the intersection of digitalisation and sustainable development.

Arbeit, die ab Beginn des Projekts bis zum Ende des durch den Bericht erfassten Berichtszeitraums geleistet wurde, und die wichtigsten bis dahin erzielten Ergebnisse

From January 2020 to June 2025, PRODIGEES implemented a comprehensive programme to advance research, foster international collaboration, and promote policy-relevant knowledge on digitalisation and sustainable development. Despite challenges, especially from the COVID-19 pandemic, the project successfully adapted and achieved its objectives.

Work Performed
At the core of PRODIGEES’ activities were 74 international research secondments across Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia, enabling 149 person-months of exchange between academic and non-academic institutions. These exchanges drove collaborative research, skills development, and high-quality outputs.

Research focused on two main themes:
1. Digitalisation for Sustainability in Governance and Society
2. Digitalisation for Sustainability in Economy and Environment

Key outputs included:
• 63 publications (journal articles, book chapters, policy briefs, blogs)
• 65 digital knowledge products (videos, podcasts, infographics)
• 126 lectures, seminars, and workshops
• Five Transnational Open Access Trainings (TOATs) and Policy Labs
• A Final Conference in Mexico City amplifying the project’s impact

Main Results Achieved
PRODIGEES advanced understanding of how digital technologies intersect with sustainable development, producing insights on:
• AI governance and regulation
• Platformisation and digital labour impacts
• Digital public infrastructure for sustainability transitions
• Geopolitics of digital governance
• Digital tools for environmental monitoring and resource management
• Digital archives and collective memory
• Polarisation, disinformation, and information integrity
• Public sector perspectives on digitalisation
• Digitalisation in transnational network cooperation
• Smart cities and urban development
• Open Science in science ecosystems
• Digital Public Infrastructure and G20 priorities
• Digital divide in sustainable development
• Climate impacts of emerging technologies
• Women entrepreneurs in the digital economy

Exploitation of Results
Results have been exploited through:
• Academic publications shaping debates on digitalisation and sustainability
• Policy briefs and advisory outputs informing decision-makers
• Training materials and digital products on open platforms (e.g. Zenodo)
• Contributions to networks like IDOS and MGG, ensuring continued impact

An open-access edited volume consolidating key findings is in preparation with an international publisher.

Dissemination of Results
PRODIGEES’ dissemination combined academic, policy, and public outreach:
• Presentations at conferences, seminars, and workshops
• Policy advice through channels like IDOS Current Column, IAI Commentaries, CSIS Briefs, and T20 Policy Briefs
• Digital Knowledge Products shared via open platforms and social media
• Results accessible through the PRODIGEES website and Zenodo community: https://zenodo.org/communities/prodigees/

Fortschritte, die über den aktuellen Stand der Technik hinausgehen und voraussichtliche potenzielle Auswirkungen (einschließlich der bis dato erzielten sozioökonomischen Auswirkungen und weiter gefassten gesellschaftlichen Auswirkungen des Projekts)

PRODIGEES delivered a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and globally comparative body of research on the intersection of digitalisation and sustainable development. PRODIGEES has gone further by:
• Bridging European and emerging power perspectives on digital governance and the SDGs.
• Providing insights into how digital infrastructures and technologies impact governance, labour, environment, and social inclusion.
• Creating and testing innovative knowledge exchange formats to make complex findings accessible and actionable across sectors and regions.

These contributions opened new avenues for policy advice, capacity-building, and collaborative research beyond traditional academic outputs.

Expected Results Until and After the End of the Project
By its conclusion in June 2025 and beyond, PRODIGEES will have:
• Delivered an open-access, peer-reviewed edited volume consolidating key research and policy findings.
• Published 12 additional academic outputs currently in preparation.
• Ensured continued access to its knowledge base through Zenodo and the project website.
• Integrated its methodologies (secondments, TOATs, Policy Labs) into future activities of partner institutions.

Potential Impacts
Scientific Impact:
PRODIGEES has advanced understanding of digital transformation’s governance within the global sustainability agenda and strengthened Europe’s leadership in transdisciplinary research. Its frameworks and findings will inform future scholarship across Science and Technology Studies, Political Science, Sociology, and Development Studies.

Socio-Economic Impact:
By fostering researcher mobility and skills development, PRODIGEES has enhanced career prospects and institutional capacities across continents. These exchanges strengthen international, cross-sectoral collaboration — key for today’s global research and policy environments.

Policy and Governance Impact:
Through policy briefs, advisory outputs, and dialogue formats, PRODIGEES has shaped debates on digital sovereignty, AI ethics, digital labour rights, and the integration of digital tools into sustainability strategies. Its engagement with think tanks and forums like the T20 and G20 has brought these insights to key decision-makers.

Wider Societal Implications:
PRODIGEES has helped raise awareness of the dual nature of digitalisation: its potential to both alleviate and exacerbate inequality, environmental challenges, and governance issues. By highlighting pathways to inclusive, democratic, and sustainable digital futures, it supports public debates and empowers stakeholders to harness digital technologies for the common good.

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