Doku.Tech
Doku.Tech is an annual technology and culture festival launched in 2014, first held during DokuFest Film Festival in Prizren and later expanded to Prishtina. It brings together technology, society, art, science, and entrepreneurship.
History
Doku.Tech was conceived in February 2012 by Kushtrim Xhakli during a gathering in Stockholm, Sweden. The vision was to create a technology-centered conference addressing digital rights, online privacy, and net neutrality while fostering regional dialogue.
The concept developed further in summer 2013 during Republika Festival in Rijeka, Croatia, where key partnerships were formed. By 2014, Xhakli, as an IPKO Foundation board member, brought the concept to fruition in partnership with DokuFest in Prizren. IPKO Foundation and SHARE Foundation joined as organizing partners, with support from the United States Embassy and Norwegian Embassy in Kosovo.
Since its inaugural edition in August 2014, Doku.Tech has brought international speakers, founders, artists, and researchers to Kosovo to discuss technology, society, and ethics.
In 2025, after more than a decade of building and growing the festival, Xhakli stepped away from his board role at The Foundation House (formerly IPKO Foundation). He continues to support Doku.Tech through international connections and advisory contributions.
Themes and Speakers by Year
| Year | Theme | Notable Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Open, Security, Community, Content | Bruce Sterling ↗, Pedro Noel ↗, Deanna Zandt, Lee Bryant ↗ |
| 2015 | Bringing the Future Closer | Esther Dyson ↗, Kentaro Toyama ↗, Yanki Margalit ↗, Peter Sunde ↗ |
| 2016 | Reflection | Laura Mersini-Houghton ↗, Mike Butcher ↗, Aral Balkan ↗, Addie Wagenknecht ↗ |
| 2017 | Fear, Hope and Everything in Between | Birgitta Jonsdottir ↗, David Batstone ↗, Matan Berkowitz |
| 2018 | One Person’s Craziness Is Another One’s Reality | Thomas Madsen-Mygdal ↗, Drena Kusari, Faybeo'n LaShanna A. Mickens |
| 2019 | Digitizing the Human, Humanizing the Digital | Tariq Krim ↗, Kashmir Hill ↗, Peter Van Valkenburg |
| 2020 | Rewind | Yanki Margalit ↗, Peter Sunde ↗, Peter Van Valkenburg |
| 2021 | Dare to Be the Change | Liviu Babitz, Rob Flaherty, Naim Hoxha |
| 2022 | My Face Is Not a Barcode | Diana Gehlhaus, Henrik Chulu, Krenar Komoni, Maja Bosnic |
| 2023 | Bringing the Future Closer, Together | Mira Murati ↗, Ralph Talmont ↗, Pamela Mishkin |
| 2024 | Fluture | Mikko Hyppönen ↗, Ida Tin ↗, Shkumbin Hamiti |
| 2024 | Doku.Tech Berlin | Saruul Krause-Jentsch ↗, Arikia Millikan ↗ |
Photo Highlights
References
1. Twitter post related to early Doku.Tech planning — https://twitter.com/xhakli/status/481044257109995520 2. Twitter post on the first Doku.Tech edition — https://twitter.com/xhakli/status/498801011939872769 3. Doku.Tech official website — https://www.doku.tech/ 4. DokuFest.com — https://dokufest.com/ 5. Kosovo 2.0: Doku.Tech Returns — https://kosovotwopointzero.com/en/dokutech-returns/