Expanding the Technology Radar to an Impact Portal

techDetector, a platform co-developed by Envisioning and GIZ, was designed to analyze the impact of emerging technologies on sustainable development. It bridges the gap between technological advancements and the challenges of sustainable development, providing a unique and innovative perspective within international technology rankings.

The platform, which was built on a proprietary methodology co-created by Envisioning and GIZ, played a significant role in elevating GIZ's international profile around sustainable technology. techDetector quickly gained traction, becoming a destination website due to its strong SEO performance, drawing thousands of organic readers monthly. More than just a technology radar, it also included an editorial guideline and a publication schedule that added layers of context through case studies, interviews, future scenarios, and even sci-fi stories. These diverse formats helped promote a technology-focused mindset centered on sustainability.

From 2020 to 2024, techDetector evolved to incorporate workshops and updates that enhanced futures literacy and technology foresight. It placed particular emphasis on the sustainability and gender equality impacts of emerging technologies, aligning closely with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Built on a custom CMS, techDetector became a widely used tool for GIZ staff and international cooperation partners, allowing them to assess technological readiness and sustainability impact.

Our Work:

• Assessed the impact of emerging technologies on sustainable development.
• Featured a technology radar enriched with in-depth content.
• Included diverse content formats like case studies, interviews, future scenarios, and more.

Impact:

• Aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Focused on sustainability and gender equality impacts.
• Enhanced futures literacy and technology foresight among users.
• Guided partners in identifying innovative technologies.

We employed a custom research methodology, specifically designed to help users understand the complexity and interdependency of emerging technologies. By adding granularity to the research, the platform offered multiple pathways for achieving sustainable outcomes. The research also assessed the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of each technology, incorporating historical data to show the evolution of each technology’s development. The platform educated users about technological advancements by categorizing innovations into domains and showing how these technologies could intersect with different sectors.

We co-designed the platform’s custom metrics with GIZ, focusing on gender and sustainability impacts. These metrics allowed for the evaluation of how emerging technologies affected these areas, aligning the research closely with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Throughout the project, we co-conducted workshops with GIZ teams and external experts to collect data and continuously evaluate the technologies' impact. This process also involved maintaining a historical record of the technologies in the back-end, helping track their development and influence over time.

To promote techDetector, we hosted offline and online launch events with GIZ. The offline launch event in Berlin featured speakers and guests from various industries, while the online event organized by us expanded the project’s reach globally. A series of newsletters and promotional content was distributed to keep audiences engaged, and the platform was showcased at various events and conferences. These efforts ensured techDetector maintained visibility and relevance within the technology and development sectors.

Together with GIZ, we conducted workshops to disseminate the research and introduce the platform to a broader audience. These workshops also served as a data collection tool for the metrics used on the platform. Stakeholders from various industries were invited to learn about and engage with the technologies featured on the radar, providing feedback and insights that further enriched the platform’s content. These workshops not only exposed technologies to stakeholders but also helped GIZ identify new opportunities for collaboration and innovation.

The project’s data architecture was built around a custom methodology we co-developed with GIZ, which classified technologies into domains, applications, and methods. This structured the entire website, ensuring users could easily navigate between different types of content. techDetector became a destination website, not only for its technology radar but also for the editorial content that linked technologies to real-world applications and other formats. Our approach ensured that the platform’s layout provided clarity and depth for its users, making it both informative and interactive.