Reports & Papers
2020 tested our strength, our resilience, and our ability to break down barriers and innovate. Despite a year of much grief, anger, and loss, people around the globe have worked harder than ever before to improve the lives of others. Millions of people in government, business, civil society, and academia have participated in groundbreaking efforts to make our world more inclusive, safer, and fairer by leveraging tech for good. When the development and deployment of technology is grounded in the greater good of humanity, these efforts—which are often ignored in news headlines—should be acknowledged and encouraged.
The Tech Spotlight recognizes projects and initiatives that demonstrate a commitment to public purpose in the areas of digital, biotech, and future of work. Through a nomination process, the TAPP team evaluated entries based on their proven ability to minimize technological harms and protect public purpose values including, but not limited to:
- Privacy
- Safety and Security
- Transparency and Accountability
- Inclusion
Selection Process
Nominations for the Tech Spotlight were open in Fall 2020. All qualifying submissions were researched and verified by the TAPP Team, including desk research, interviews, and a conflict of interest assessment. Each submission was then scored according to the following criteria:
Alignment: Minimizes technological harms and protects public purpose values, including privacy, safety and security, transparency and accountability, and inclusion.
Impact: Clear demonstration of impact, scalability, and geographic scope through specific, measurable examples.
Innovativeness: Novelty of strategy or approach and responsiveness to current issues.
Top submissions advanced to the Selection Committee to vote on the 2021 Tech Spotlight finalists and top recipients.
Learn more about the Tech Spotlight at belfercenter.org/TechSpotlight
For details on the Tech Spotlight recipients and runners-up, download the full Casebook: