For us, "Tech For Good" isn't just a label; it's how we work. It means we do not build technology based on assumptions. Instead, we connect the tech community with the expertise of people who understand the problem firsthand. We consider a solution successful only when it truly benefits those it was intended for.
Four principles that guide every program we run:
1. Problems before technology: We start by asking who faces a problem and how they currently address it - only then do we select the appropriate tool. Sometimes the answer is AI, sometimes a digital platform, and sometimes simply better coordination among existing stakeholders.
2. With the community, not for it: We develop solutions in collaboration with civil society organizations, institutions, and end-users. Their understanding of the context and potential risks is as vital as our teams' technical expertise.
3. Safety and ethics from day one: When technology enters sensitive areas, such as justice, healthcare, or issues involving violence, user protection is built into the design. We ask what a solution might disrupt or harm before we ask what it might improve.
4. Lasting systemic change: Projects come to an end, but systems endure. That is why we embed solutions within institutions and ecosystems, ensuring that the technology, knowledge, and new capacities persist long after the formal program concludes.
How we implement this: CBTM
We apply these principles through the Cluster-Based Transformation Model (CBTM), a methodology developed at ICT Hub that creates structured connections between public institutions, civil society, the private sector, startups, and academia.
Systemic diagnosis: We define the problem with those who experience it daily and align stakeholders based on data. Ecosystem activation - we mobilize a regional network to identify and validate solutions tailored to a specific challenge. Operational excellence - we transition from strategy to implementation, ensuring that solutions are sustainable.
Tech For Good in Practice
GreenUp Hub and GreenUp Accelerator (GIZ, 2024–2026) – we are leading an initiative to develop green technologies in Serbia. We began by mapping the greentech ecosystem (151 providers) and, based on these findings, developed a 12-week accelerator for "GreenUp Starters" and "GreenUp Scalers," connecting startups, the academic sector (TMF, Center for Cleaner Production), and international partners (UNIDO, GEF, Yale University).
In the "Serbia Innovates" project (USAID, 2021–2025), we utilized CBTM to transform innovation support from fragmented initiatives into coordinated, scalable models.
CBTM is the methodology we use to implement our Tech For Good approach.
CBTM is ICT Hub's proprietary methodology that integrates technology, innovation, and AI into complex, multi-actor development systems.
In many development contexts, stakeholders work in silos. CBTM provides structured coordination among public institutions, private-sector actors, startups, academia, and civil society. This ensures innovation-driven solutions are built into systems from the beginning.
How We Apply CBTM
1. System Diagnosis
We define the problem space and align stakeholders using data-driven insights. This creates shared understanding and commitment before implementation begins.
2. Ecosystem Activation
We mobilize our regional network to identify and validate the most relevant technological solutions for the specific challenge.
3. Operational Excellence
We transition from strategy to execution, ensuring solutions are effectively deployed, managed, and sustained over time. Our administrative capacity and ecosystem coordination enable seamless implementation.
Strategic Synergy in Action
Our capabilities work together to solve complex delivery challenges:
For example, in Serbia Innovates (USAID, 2021-2025), we used CBTM to redesign how innovation support mechanisms were implemented at the system level, to embed technology-driven coordination mechanisms, and to align institutions, startups, the private sector, and policy stakeholders. Innovation support shifted from fragmented initiatives to coordinated, scalable delivery models across Web3, agri-food, gaming, and biotech.
