Diplo releases new report: ‘Tech Diplomacy Practice in the San Francisco Bay Area’

• Diplo has released a new report examining how governments and tech companies engage in the practice of tech diplomacy in the San Francisco Bay Area.
• The 2023 edition is an update to Diplo’s first report from 2018 that provided an overview of how technology is transforming international relations.
• The launch event was hosted by Swissnex in San Francisco at Pier 17 and Diplo,  supported by the Republic and Canton of Geneva.

18 April 2023 

In pursuit of following non-traditional practices of diplomacy in the digital age and the intersection of emerging tech and diplomacy, Diplo has revisited the practice of tech diplomacy in the San Francisco Bay Area. After numerous interviews with a wide range of practitioners and tech companies, Diplo has now released its second edition of the ‘Tech diplomacy practice in the San Francisco Bay Area’. Authored by Pavlina Ittelson, Executive Director of Diplo US and Martin Rauchbauer, former Austrian Tech Ambassador in San Francisco and founder of Tech Diplomacy Network, the report provides a comprehensive look at the benefits and challenges in interactions between diplomatic representations and tech companies in the Bay Area. The report also showcases some examples of diplomatic representations and trends in the Bay Area and offers guidance to small and developing countries on ways of participating in discussions. 

Launched in San Francisco last week, the report finds that the practice of tech diplomacy in the Bay Area has matured, with more countries involved in tech diplomacy putting forward digital policy strategies. It also opens a policy dialogue between stakeholders, allowing informed decision-making for governments and tech companies. The launch event, which took place in San Francisco at Pier 17, was hosted by Swissnex and Diplo, supported by the Republic and Canton of Geneva.

‘We have seen an increased interest from governments to understand what is happening on the ground in Silicon Valley,’ said co-author Ittelson. ‘Especially for countries exploring the possibility of establishing a tech diplomacy practice, understanding what is happening here is essential’.

The report highlights important trends such as: (a) governments investing more resources into their presence in Silicon Valley; (b) tech companies becoming increasingly open to engaging with foreign governments; and (c) states leveraging tech diplomacy practices to attract talent and investments abroad. The authors also point out that tech diplomacy in the Bay Area is lacking the involvement of countries from the Global South. 

Co-author Rauchbauer said ‘We are seeing an increased number of countries engaging with tech companies around the world, which demonstrates how important it is for diplomats to develop digital skills. This report provides valuable insights into how governments can leverage technology to better serve their citizens’.

The 2023 edition builds upon Diplo’s first report from 2018 which provided an overview of how technology was transforming international relations. The updated version focuses specifically on tech diplomacy practices within the San Francisco Bay Area and provides key insights into how foreign governments can benefit from engaging with local technology communities.
Read the full text.