What are the Silicon Valleys 2.0 of this world?

Which technologies, experts, and regions will shape the near future? The innovation platform DLD shines an early spotlight on hidden champions and, with DLD Tirana and the DLD Future Hub: Impact of AI, focuses on cross-border networking with Albania.

Art meets AI, biodiversity connects with European politics, and music merges with quantum computing – this is what gives a DLD conference its special appeal. “Innovation arises from cross-connections,” says Steffi Czerny. The founder of DLD (Digital Life Design), Burda’s international innovation platform, always insists on an interdisciplinary line-up at her events. A place in Europe that embodies this spirit, she says, is Tirana. “The Albanian tech community doesn’t think in silos, but in networks – and with a refreshing willingness to experiment that often falls victim to regulation elsewhere,” Steffi explains.

Currently, Albania’s capital is transforming from a hidden gem into an ambitious tech hub that has caught the eye of both local and international investors – essentially, anyone who wants to be in early when something big is emerging. “From the media, we often only know Tirana through headlines about ‘corruption’ or ‘communism,’” Steffi continues. “I always thought there must already have been a real transformation there.”

A City of Contrasts

Tirana is a city of contrasts. Communist-era housing blocks stand next to trendy co-working spaces. This friction generates a unique energy that fuels social change. The population is very young, digitally native, and hungry for change. Over 60 percent are under 35, bringing a mix of technical know-how and cultural flexibility rarely found in Europe. What impresses Steffi most is the mentality of the people with their “why not” spirit. They see challenges as opportunities and face the future with optimism and drive. The sense of new beginnings and enthusiasm for change is palpable and even contagious. In the city, technical expertise blends with cultural adaptability in a way seldom seen in Europe.

This also impressed Margret Suckale, Supervisory Board Member at Deutsche Telekom: “I was deeply impressed by the people in Tirana, who with great enthusiasm and energy are leading Albania into the age of artificial intelligence, with innovative startups as well as new ideas in art and architecture.”

Suckale was participating in DLD Tirana, a delegation trip led by Steffi, the DLD team, and 25 international investors, founders, executives, and academics in early June. The program included a panel discussion on the energy transformation of a building with a problematic history. At Vila 31 – originally a dictator’s villa and now a space for artist residencies and contemporary creation – Margarita Shabaeva from the Munich Haus der Kunst, Nita Deda, creative director of Vila 31, and Anya Braithwaite and Mark Fernandes from the DLD team shared ideas. Participants also toured the Pyramid, once built in honor of dictator Enver Hoxha and today serving as an innovation hub. A visit with architect Stefano Boeri, who created Tirana’s Vertical Forest – a high-rise covered with 145 trees and 3,200 shrubs – as well as dinners and an “Albanian Night” allowed participants to feel the pulse of the city.

Expanding Perspectives and Horizons

For decades, all eyes were on Silicon Valley, with everyone orienting themselves toward its innovations. But that is no longer enough. For DLD, the questions now are: What are the new Silicon Valleys of this world? What are the emerging topics and challenges we don’t yet see – and how will the tech scene respond to them? Which startups will emerge and succeed, perhaps even on a global scale?

“We need to broaden our view and our horizons dramatically,” Steffi insists. Two years ago, she put Lagos, Nigeria, on the DLD travel agenda. Since then, African founders have become regulars at DLD events, demonstrating the impulses coming from the continent. Albania is on a similar path: invitations have already been extended to experts from the Balkan country to join DLD in Munich.

Strengthening Europe Through Cross-Border Collaboration

“DLD Tirana was only the beginning,” Steffi promises. “During our trip, we already discussed how to keep weaving these networks and deepen collaboration.” This is not just a goal for the DLD community, but for Europe as a whole. “I’m convinced that the European project can only succeed if we collaborate across borders. With DLD Tirana, we’ve taken a step in the right direction,” she says.

The participants share this conviction. “Events like DLD Tirana not only strengthen Albania, but also Europe’s entire innovative capacity,” explains Sadik Bakiu, CEO of the AI software company DataMax. “The combination of local and continental networks brings capital, know-how, and talent to all parts of Europe.”

From September 9 to 11, DLD will host the first DLD Future Hub: Impact of AI, bringing a delegation from Albania to the Amerikahaus in Munich. You can find further information about the DLD Future Hub: Impact of AI on the website and soon on the blog.

If you want to participate and report on the DLD Future Hub, please reach out to DLDpress@burda.com