Sovereign Tech – What is it and why does it matter? Hybrid Meetup
Date: Thursday 28 May 2026
Time: 3 to 5pm Singapore time (UTC+8)
Venue: Join us in person or online
Register here to get the venue address or the online link
We are all highly dependent on technology for almost everything in modern living. We have, as civilisation, recognized the value of collaboration and also self-reliance. If one gives up self-reliance, usually under the notion of “convenience”, over time, dependency happens. If the dependency is with a reliable, trustable entity, the arrangement can go on fruitfully for a very long time. But once that trust disappears, all bets are off.
With technology – the Internet, chip design/manufacturing, software development etc – the wider the spread of competency, the better it is for all.
Give than, what would sovereign tech look like? It is essentially all that is needed to make the technology work. The hardware, software, skills to make them work, resolve issues, perform maintenance etc. Why does it matter? For one, it brings meaning to people. People being able to work with their skills and knowledge to solve problems, instead of merely being consumers. It also builds resilience and encourages creative problem solving. It can only be a net positive.
This talk will show a snapshot of what it would take to have a Sovereign Tech – whether a nation state or a corporate or an individual.
Guest speaker: Harish Pillay, Internet Society Singapore Chapter: Technologist championing the open collaboration of ideas to build resilience in societies. Troublemaker with qualifications in engineering, computer science, AI ethics.
