Tech For Good: everything to know about this positive-impact movement

For a few years now, "Tech For Good" has been on the lips of every entrepreneur and organization in the tech ecosystem. But what does this movement really stand for? What is it about? What stakes do Tech For Good companies address?

That's the subject of this article. Dive in with us into the French technology landscape and discover how impact-driven digital is taking shape.

What is Tech For Good?

Definition

Literally translated as "technology for the good," Tech For Good is an approach that aims to use technology in service of the common good, with the goal of living better and together.

To do this, companies, nonprofits, and investors collaborate within an entrepreneurial ecosystem to put societal impact at the heart of economic growth through targeted actions that respond to social and environmental challenges.

The big principles of the Tech For Good movement

The digital acceleration triggered by the COVID-19 crisis brought into sharp focus certain stakes and inequalities raised by the use of digital in our lives.

That's why, in 2018, the French presidency, supported by startups, large groups, and NGOs, took the initiative of launching the Tech For Good movement — a group whose purpose is to define development models that put technology and digital in service of humanity.

Why is the Tech For Good movement so important?

Tech is often singled out for its negative aspects

Why is it so important to adopt a positive-impact approach in tech?

In the digital age, it's easy to get pulled into the negative aspects of using technology. It's true that digital also has effects on human rights. Cyberbullying, online harassment, privacy issues are just a few examples of what new technologies have helped create. On top of that, while tech has created new jobs, it has also eliminated a great many. According to the McKinsey report, 800 million people could lose their jobs by 2030 because of task automation.

All of that can give the impression that technology is a bad thing — but the reality is something else.

And yet, tech has the potential to move things in the right direction

Technology offers many advantages and has the capacity to create positive change in the world. The Tech For Good movement seeks to gather these foundations around the idea that technology's potential to create positive change is real.

It matters because it offers a positive approach to how people think about technology and its effects. Technology has enormous potential for positive change and for bringing people and organizations closer. But that potential can only be realized if we use technology in a positive way.

By focusing on the positive aspects of tech, the Tech For Good movement presents a more accurate picture of what technology can offer, and encourages us all to use it in a way that benefits humanity and the common good.

Finally, by promoting this current of thought and action, Tech For Good also works to train people for tech roles so they can understand and accompany these changes. That's what we call tech education. An indispensable lever for giving everyone access to digital.

How is Tech For Good unfolding in France?

While the impact of Tech For Good is real globally, it is also real on the French market. Let's look together at which initiatives are being taken in the country and which events are contributing to the rise of Tech For Good in France.

Tech For Good in France: a dynamic ecosystem

According to a study by PwC in 2019, France is considered a particularly dynamic market, especially in 4 sectors: education, ecological transition, health, and inclusion.

And to promote tech-sector roles and the companies working toward an inclusive digital transition, networks exist.

Notable examples include:

• Tech For Good France: a national network bringing together entrepreneurs and investors who work to develop tech solutions in service of the common good. The goal of the network is to create and unite a community around commitments such as limiting the digital carbon footprint, digital accessibility, and tech and scientific innovation.
• Les Ambitieuses: a program dedicated to Tech For Good entrepreneurs from the La Ruche incubator network. The goal is to provide strategic and operational support to selected project leaders to accelerate growth while ensuring alignment with Tech For Good commitments.

Summit and events

Launched in 2018 by Emmanuel Macron, the Tech For Good summit brought together 70 leaders of companies, startups, and NGOs. This annual gathering aims to bring together influential players to sign one of the commitments that aim to put concrete actions in place in favor of digital.

During the summit, various themes were addressed, such as:

• Access to education,
• The future of work,
• Parity and diversity,
• Economic and social inclusion,
• The environment.

And among the big names that took part in the summit, we can mention:

• Blablacar
• BNP Paribas
• Booking.com
• Cdiscount
• Chance
• Cisco
• Deezer
• Deliveroo
• Facebook
• IBM
• Intel
• Leboncoin
• Malt
• etc.

Finally, Tech For Good Awards is the number-one event in the tech ecosystem. Started by BFM Business and France Digital, the event recognizes companies that put technology and innovation in service of society and the environment.

For the 2022 edition, 6 startups were nominated in 6 distinct categories:

• Bluedingo for the circular economy category,
• Withings for the Health & Disability category,
• Powers for the Education category,
• Colette for the Civic Action category,
• k-ryole for the Industry and Mobility category,
• Afyren for the Resource Management category.