What can the future do for you?
Lift works to identify and anticipate current and emerging usagesof digital technologies through research, events, publications and services.
Past Lift events
Lift France 11
Lift France 11 is a three-day conference about current and emerging use of digital technologies and their effects on innovation, societal and economic transformation. Under the slogan "Be Radical!", Lift France will focus on disruption: when (high- or low-)tech contributes to redefining a market's terms of reference, a whole industry, a share of social life, etc. Participants come to better understand the challenges and opportunities presented by digital technologies, to meet the people who drive these innovations, and to share their own insights.
Laboratoire de Nouvelles Lectures
Le Laboratoire des Nouvelles Lectures (LNL) - is a project centered around the future of reading.
It is an open platform (in french) designed to inspire and incubate new forms of reading experiences based on technologies. The LNL is an initiative of the Salon du Livre et de la Presse de Geneve (the Geneva Book Fair), and is produced by LIFT
RoboLift
Robolift is the conference complementing the Innorobo Tradeshow taking place in Lyon on March 23-25, 2011.
The event will explore the major opportunities and challenges presented by the emerging field of robotics, from the possibilities of artificial intelligence to the prospect of autonomous military robots. In three days, participants will see hundreds of robots in action, meet the international pioneers who build them, and listen to the ideas driving one of tomorrow's largest market.
Lift11, "What can the future do for you?"
Lift11 welcomed 1080 participants to the CICG in Geneva to explore THE Lift question: "What can the future do for you?"
We introduced innovative features such as the live interactive feedback system and co-creation workshops, which were warmly welcomed by the participants.
Presenting sessions on new organizational models, new frontiers, co-creation, community management, gamification - and a legendary session on deep space - Lift11 was rated by the participants as one of the best Lift editions ever!
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Lift France 10, "Dot Real"
Lift France 10 attracted 560 participants in Marseille to explore the theme "dot-Real - Webify the real world!" : how the technologies and concepts of the web are changing the real world today and in the future.
For the last 20 years, networked technologies have redistributed the power of imagining, evaluating, and acting. With Asia’s shift from being the world’s factory to a major source of innovation and in a world where today’s consumers have also become producers, new boundaries arise and with them a new society. The Web changes the world – But to what extent? With what limitations? How can it reach its full potential?"
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Lift10, "Connected people"
Lift10 gathered 980 participants to explore the most overlooked aspect of innovation: people. Known in techno-parlance as users, people ultimately define the success of all technological and entrepreneurial projects. Their approaches are unique, influenced by cultural and generational diversity. Lift10 explored the myths reality of the "connected people" from perspectives such as generations, online politics, communities, privacy and the future of media.
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Lift Asia 09, "Serious fun"
450 participants braved the crisis AND the flu to attend the third Asia edition of Lift themed "Serious Fun". Social networks, online games, robots, communicating objects: these technologies and services were originally designed for entertainment purposes. They are now giving birth to a whole new range of opportunities and challenges. Games are used for education. Robots are linking patients and doctors. Social networks are the playground of marketers and recruiters.
Are these "fun" technologies changing as they become more and more "serious"? What new opportunities and challenges are arising from this ecosystem in the making?
Lift Asia 09 explored these questions, and focused on the examples provided by communicating objects, social networks, design, architecture, storytelling and community engagement.
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Lift France 09, "The Hands on Future"
500 participants from over 40 countries gathered in Marseille to explore the innovations that are changing society, business and culture. The theme of the event was "A Hands On Future"
Welcome to the do-it-yourself future! With objects now connecting to the Internet, and decentralized manufacturing right around the corner, a whole new world of possibilities is opening up in front of our eyes. New opportunities and challenges arise.
What are the implications for citizens? And for a global economy in need of a radical reinvention? What needs are created by this new ecosystem, needs your organization might want to address in the near future? What are the possibilities of a world where production happens at home, where objects become documented and easily reproducible?
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Lift 09, Where did the future go?
Where has the future gone? This is what Lift09 explored during three sunny days on February 2009 in Geneva. Many things have changed in the past decades, even if we don't ride flying cars nor have smart fridges ordering our carrots. Ask yourself this: are you sure you want your neighbor - the one who tends to make a long stop at the pub after work - to drive a vehicle with wings? We're not sure either.
We all have different futures, and in William Gibson's famous words, "future is not evenly distributed". It is up to us to built it, and we certainly had with us some of the people who have a shot at influencing it with brilliant ideas.
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Lift Asia 08, Beyond the web browser
For the first large scale Asian event of Lift, we welcomed 400 participants under the magnificent sun of Jeju Island. "Beyond the browser" was the main theme, with presentations about robotics, the future of social worlds, virtual money or the networked city given by twenty speakers like Dan Dubno, Joonmo Kwon, Jaewoong Lee or Takeshi Natsuno (full program here). The event featured an exhibition of interactive art organized by art center nabi and some of the best social events and networking we have ever organized, like a swiss lunch and a memorable diner by the sea. The event was supported by the Jeju Government, Daum, WattWatt, Alpict and art center nabi.
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Lift08
Lift08was again a record edition, gathering 700 attendees from 30 countries to discuss online environments, user experience, sustainable development, gaming or foresight. The event was covered by TechCrunch, ATS, Fast Company, Wired, BBC News, NZZ, Radio Suisse Romande, Europe1, Netzwoche, Campaign and by tenth of bloggers and podcasters. 40 videos have been recorded and made available online, and the community rated Kevin Warwick (Cyborg research), Genevieve Bell (Secrets, lies & digital deceptions), Robin Hunicke (game trends), Paul Barnett (Game design) and Eric Favre (the story of Nespresso) as the five best presenters.
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Lift Asia 07
Before organizing a large event in 2008, we wanted to have a taste of what it means to run an event in a different country an culture. Lift Evening Seoul was an afternoon featuring 4 speakers to discuss the changes around spaces, going from real to virtual. 180 participants joined us in Seoul for a great moment of ideas sharing and networking at the Yuri Art Hall in Gangnam.
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Lift07
The 2007 edition of LIFT in Geneva attracted more than 550 participants (Global 1000 companies, entrepreneurs, investors, students, researchers, artists, NGOs) from 30 countries. A program of 36 keynote speeches, 16 workshops and 4 panels covered diverse topics like web 2.0, mobile technologies, robots, economic and social trends. LIFT was supported by organizations like Swisscom, Whisher, HP, Zurich, the Gebert Ruf Stiftung or the EPFL and was covered extensively by Swiss media as well as international media like the BBC, the Associated Press, Wired, the Guardian, and Europe 1.
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Lift06
The first edition of LIFT happened in 2006 and welcomed 350 delegates from 20 countries. The conference featured speakers like Cory Doctorow, Bruce Sterling, Robert Scoble, Hugh Macleod or Euan Semple. In a post conference survey, LIFT06 was assessed as a success by most attendees, with 93% planning to attend the next edition.
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