Skip to main content
Digital Society Institute

Digital Society Institute (DSI)

About us

Who we are

The Digital Society Institute (DSI) at ESMT was founded in 2016 with a mission to bridge technology and society through research, education and capacity building activities that place digital trust, privacy and human rights at the center of digital development. The DSI has built a strong reputation for conducting applied research at the intersection of technology, society and the economy, becoming a trusted source for expert advice on different aspects of digitalisation, such as secure digital identities, digital diplomacy, internet governance, EU digital and tech policies and German IT law. Expanding the scope of its work, the DSI is working towards becoming a leading knowledge hub on digital technology, regulation and cybersecurity issues, with a special focus on European technology policies and regulation.

What we do

The DSI offers interdisciplinary solutions to some of the most urgent problems of our time: this ranges from insights into the digitalisation of public services and the rapid automation of industry in Europe, to developing policy recommendations in response to the rising influence of emerging technologies on countries’ internal and external policies. DSI researchers are featured in academic journals and leading press, contributing on the latest technological issues, including eGovernance, digital platforms, international law, internet governance and cybersecurity. The DSI conducts numerous research projects, working with companies and public institutions, and regularly hosts workshops and conferences, featuring leading international speakers, public officials and hundreds of attendees from diverse backgrounds.

Paving the Way into the Future of Cyberspace
Tenth Sino-European Cyber Dialogue
Advancing Cyber Stability
ITSR.sys Ergebnispräsentation
NATO CCDCOE Event Snapshot
Recent Event

The UN Project of a Global Digital Compact

ESMT Berlin | February 24, 2023
Press release

Tenth Sino-European Cyber Dialogue

Geneva, Switzerland | December 22, 2022
Past Event

Advancing Cyber Stability - Developments and Challenges

Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland | December 12, 2022
Past Event

[ITSR.sys] Ergebnispräsentation: Ein Modell für ein Allgemeines IT-Sicherheitsrecht – Bestandteile und Verwertungsmöglichkeiten

ESMT Berlin | 8. Dezember 2022
Past Event

NATO CCDCOE Cybersecurity of 5G Networks Report Launch

ESMT Berlin | October 31, 2022
DSI in the news

"Good Cybersecurity Governance in the European Union – Best Practices Based on NIS2 and the Cyber Resilience Act"

March 13, 2023 | Tech Policy Press
The governance of cyberspace is a challenging task that requires close coordination between governments, private companies and critical infrastructure providers. Nils Brinker and Richard Skalt from ESMT Berlin provide some Best Practices.

"Frontal"

February 15, 2023 | ZDF
Sandro Gaycken, director of the Digital Society Institute (DSI) at ESMT Berlin, talks about the state of German critical infrastructure and its vulnerability to cyberattacks in ZDF's "Frontal".

"GCA Announces Heli Tiirmaa-Klaar as New Chair"

December 21, 2022 | Global Cyber Alliance
The Global Cyber Alliance (GCA), an international nonprofit dedicated to eradicating cyber risk, announced today the appointment of Heli Tiirmaa-Klaar as the new chair of its Board of Directors.
Newsletter

Subscribe to our monthly Cyber Policy Digest [GER + ENG]

Subscribe Here
Videos

DSI Talks, Panels, Interviews - Watch it all on YouTube

DSI Videos
Supporting Partners
Research and Development Partners
Academic Partners

Contact

Digital Society Institute
ESMT Berlin
Schlossplatz 1
10178 Berlin

Phone: +49 170 4807442
E-Mail: DigitalSocietyInstitute@esmt.org