This was the basic idea that prompted the development of the world’s first standard for ethical systems engineering: ISO/IEC/IEEE 24748-7000. A five-year project led by Professor Sarah Spiekermann-Hoff from WU Vienna University of Economics and Business culminated in the development of a model process that provides developers with clear guidelines for making ethical values an integral part of the design process when engineering technology-based products and services. In her 2023 book “Value-based Engineering – A Guide to Building Ethical Technology for Humanity,” Spiekermann-Hoff outlined the scientific foundations of this approach. A German translation of this volume is slated for publication in 2025.

What makes this new standard so special? Its scope is global, which means that it’s not just another code of ethics or a voluntary commitment by individual companies. It was developed and validated by over 130 international experts and is aimed at systems engineers who shape the digital world through the decisions they make. It’s also more than just a list of technical requirements. It addresses questions such as: What are the values we want to promote with our technologies? How can we avoid environmental and social risks? And how can companies gain an edge over their competitors by offering value-driven products?

The results speak for themselves. Organizations such as BMW and UNICEF have successfully tested the standard. An associated UNICEF project for supporting young people in Africa won the Living Standards Award in 2023. Value-based engineering has also proven very successful in the field of education. Since 2021, over 250 WU students have been trained in this method in the Digital Economy MSc program. Under the VBE Ambassador certification program, Austrian Standards has awarded certifications to as many as 43 professionals within only 9 months after its launch, offering the participants a unique opportunity to take their ethical systems engineering skills to the next level.

But this is just the beginning. Value-based engineering is changing the culture of digital innovation in a profound way. It provides a foundation for technologies that are not only efficient and profitable but also human centered. The ISO/IEC/IEEE 24748-7000 standard ensures that the next generation of digital products will bring real progress – for e-government services – which is why the City of Vienna has made the standard part of its 2023 strategy agenda – but also for companies, users, and society. This is an important step towards a more responsible and more sustainable approach to digitalization.