IGF 2019

Since the establishment in 2002, it is the remit of the Digital Opportunities Foundation to research the social impact of digitisation, to campaign for equal access to the Internet for all people, and to advance digital literacy. Our objective is digital inclusion of all societal groups and counteracting the digital divide. We work in cooperation with public, civic, and private partners. Our projects are funded by federal and European programs as well as by industry. The foundation is working under the patronage of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. In our advisory board representatives of the major German civil society organisations collaborate and advise our work. 

Mission Statement 

Our Goal: Equal Opportunities in a Digital World. 

We enable competences and strengthen digital participation for everyone.  

We link civil society, politics, economy, and academia.  

We set impulses and shape discourses on national and international level.  

We work target-group-oriented to strengthen digital competences.  

We research the impact of digitisation on society. We use our practical experience for research and transfer our research results into our practical work.  

Our work is project based, addresses a large number of target groups, and can be classed in three categories:  

1. Digital Society: Digitisation is shaping our day-to-day life in many aspects and has a huge impact on societal processes. This development needs to be researched, shaped, and put into context. 

1. Digital Inclusion: No access to and lack of knowledge for a competent usage of digital resources can cause or further social disparity. We enable and foster digital inclusion of all people. 

1. Digital Competence is a vital pre-requisite for digital inclusion. Digital Competence must be conveyed target-group-oriented via innovative formats.