How do we move towards a more inclusive and sustainable city where the technology we adopt is under our own collective control? What is needed to make progress on that journey and what is the role of academia, governments, societal organisations and private companies? These were the guiding questions for an event that Waag Futurelab organised in collaboration with the VU in the iconic 1691 Waag building in the city centre of Amsterdam on 29 January 2026.
Waag’s Research Director and VU Connected World Research Fellow Sander van der Waal hosted the afternoon, where in three panel discussions various dimensions of Digital Autonomy were explored. Experts from VU, Waag, and the city of Amsterdam discussed three topics in-depth that are relevant to Amsterdam: its reliance on communications infrastructures, questions around controlling the environmental footprint of our technology, and inclusive adoption of technology in the care domain. Please find the full report of this event here.