Tata Consultancy Services and US Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Report Explores the Application of Next-Generation Technologies for Social Good
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization, announced findings from a new report that explores how technology and digital innovation are key drivers in overcoming some of the world’s most pressing problems. The report titled ‘Technology as a Catalyst for Empowering Communities’ is the culminating release from Digital Empowers, a three-year initiative launched in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation in 2018.
The findings in Technology as a Catalyst for Empowering Communities show that using technology, human-centered design, and cross-sector partnerships can help accelerate social impact for communities around the world.
The report explores how technology can transform outcomes across nine social issues: Education; the Future of Work; Healthcare; Sustainability and Disaster Response; Food Security; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Digital Divide, and Mental Health. Each theme was explored over the three-year collaboration between TCS and the U.S. Chamber Foundation through in-person and virtual events, research, and conversations with corporate leaders, subject matter experts, nonprofit leaders, and government representatives. The report examines the leading changemakers in each issue area and the technologies powering the solutions to address it.
“Digital technologies are driving transformation of industries, and can leapfrog innovation for purposeful social impact,” said Balaji Ganapathy, chief social responsibility officer, TCS. “Digital Empowers is an unparalleled platform to explore the intersection of digital and social issues. Technology as a Catalyst for Empowering Communities should serve as a blueprint to drive innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.”
“Our world is facing unprecedented challenges that require bold ideas and innovative solutions,” said Marc DeCourcey, senior vice president, U.S. Chamber Foundation. “We hope this report serves as a helpful resource and a powerful reminder that with the help of technology and partnerships, we can not only overcome our challenges, but also drive meaningful change in society – now and for generations to come.”
Key learnings from the report include:
- The Future of Work: It is imperative that youth, women, and underserved communities have access to the skills and education required to compete for in-demand technology jobs.
- Healthcare: To demonstrate value, traditional healthcare systems must evolve, adapting digital solutions for better care of all patients.
- Education: Foundational STEM education is more important now than it has ever been if we are to ensure that students are ready for the future of work.
- The Digital Divide: Solutions to bridge the digital divide are vital to overcome systemic inequities already setting global populations on starkly different paths.
Digital Empowers is aimed at accelerating innovation for social impact. The overall goal of Digital Empowers is to raise awareness about technology trends and societal issues, explore the art of the possible, and foster cross-sector partnerships. Since inception, Digital Empowers has engaged with over 2,500 experts to create and expand the knowledge base, explore technology solutions that have exponential impact on the most pressing problems – all of which have cross-sections and applications around the world – and to create an ecosystem of vital cross-sector partnerships leading to collaborative social impact solutions. The program has also opened doors for social entrepreneurs and changemakers to ideate and collaborate with business and technology leaders to bring novel social impact innovations to the community.
Key partnerships over the course of the Digital Empowers initiative included Bread for the City, Comcast NBCUniversal, Duke Energy, Impact Hub NY Metro and Accra, the Government of Canada, Johnson and Johnson, Land ‘o’ Lakes, ManpowerGroup, Medtronic, MIT Solve, New Profit, Talkspace, The Pantry, Vanguard, Whirlpool, UPS, Year Up, and Zions Bancshares.
Technology as a Catalyst for Empowering Communities is available to download for free at on.tcs.com/CatalystReport.