Denmark supports new tech-initiative for humanitarian action

NordenBladet — The Danish government donates DKK 2.5 million to the Danish Refugee Council in order for them to develop a new innovative model together with IBM. The model will be able to track and potentially also predict refugee and migrant flows, which will improve humanitarian response planning. The project taps into the government’s focus on technology and digitalization and the new TechPlomacy-initiative as a strategic priority in Denmark’s international engagement.

Minister for Development Cooperation Ulla Tørnæs:“I am pleased that we are able strengthen humanitarian action through innovative technology. The data model will hopefully serve as a concrete example of how innovative technology can ensure better information and contribute to a more proactive humanitarian response. There is no doubt that TechVelopment has a huge potential within development cooperation.”

The grant will enable the Danish Refugee Council to develop and test a new data model together with IBM. Danish Refugee Council will open source the solution and thereby assist humanitarian actors in developing a more proactive humanitarian response based on the model’s predictions.The project taps into the government’s focus on technology and digitalization and the new TechPlomacy-initiative as a strategic priority in Denmark’s international engagement across foreign and security policy, development cooperation, and humanitarian assistance.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anders Samuelsen:“The project is a great example of an initiative that seeks to address some of the global challenges in a new and innovative way. The pace of technology development creates new challenges and risks but at the same time new opportunities. Denmark and Danish organizations are in a good position to seize these opportunities. The project also taps into our focus on technology and digitalization, which we have made a priority in Denmark’s international engagement since the launch of the TechPlomacy-initiative. Denmark has taken the lead by appointing the world’s first tech-ambassador and we are thereby able to be agenda setting within this field.”

BackgroundThe Danish Refugee Council and IBM have engaged in a partnership in order to co-create and test a new tech-driven analysis model under the project “Predictive Modeling of Migration Flows”. The model has the potential to predict refugee and migrant flows and thereby ensure a better humanitarian response. IBM contributes with its predictive analytics technology on a pro bono basis. The project runs until mid-2019.

Source: um.dk
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