Call for projects: Volteface, digital & sustainable
Interface, UNIL's partnership research fund, is launching the "Volteface" call for projects on the theme of digital technology and sustainability, in partnership with the Center of Competence in Sustainability.
Details & online application until July 20, 2025.
Incubation workshop scheduled for April 10: online registration
Over the last ten years or so, the digital innovation cycles seen by the general public have been accelerating. Whether it's the shift to remote storage (cloud storage), the preponderance of the smartphone interface (mobile-first), the connection of everyday objects to the internet (IoT) or, more recently, developments in artificial intelligence (LLMs, ML, etc.), each new tool calls into question the existing technological base, bringing its own share of opportunities, promises, risks and uncertainties.
Faced with these challenges of technological expansion and heightened competitiveness for SMEs, this call for projects aims to bring together UNIL researchers and stakeholders within the framework of partnership research, in order to respond to needs or problems emerging from the practices of players in the field. On this basis, the aim is to co-construct and develop research projects whose results are significant and have a concrete and immediate application for those working in the field.
Impact of digital tools and practices & (Re)making society with digital technology.
Two thematic axes have been identified to stimulate reflective, analytical and forward-looking approaches to digital technology, from a sustainability perspective. Sustainability is understood here in both ecological (respect for planetary limits) and social terms (access to education, social equity, gender equality, peace and justice, health, decent income and work, access to basic resources, democracy and political representation, etc.). Some of the topics highlighted during the initial phases of reflection include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Balancing the contribution of digital technology with its environmental and social consequences
- The specific impact of artificial intelligence
- The challenges of system safety and resilience
- Digital governance
- Democracy and rights in digital use
- Training and information for critical digital thinking
Details & online application until July 20, 2025.
Incubation workshop scheduled for April 10: online registration
