We are pleased to announce the formation of SIG TECH (Technology to Enact Change), the newest Special Interest Group of the Association for Information Systems (AIS). SIG TECH offers a dedicated space for scholars and practitioners who are passionate about technical information systems research, especially those working on design oriented, data driven, or computational approaches. The group bridges an important gap in the IS field by spotlighting work that builds or redesigns IT artifacts to address complex business and societal challenges.

Since technical research underlies the “sociotechnical” core of the IS domain, SIG TECH aims to advance a research agenda that emphasizes design science, computational design, IS data science, and design oriented analytical modeling. By doing so, SIG TECH reinforces what makes IS distinct: not just studying technology or management but enabling and analyzing real systems and artifacts that create impact.

AIS Vice President of SIGs and Colleges, Julia Kotlarsky, PhD, says: "Technical IS research is critical for the future of our field. SIG TECH will help build a community of IS scholars with interests in the technical side of IS that advances impactful, artifact oriented scholarship within AIS.”

Community-Building and Convening

Beyond fostering scholarship, SIG TECH seeks to build a vibrant community. Members will have the opportunity to exchange ideas, share experiences, collaborate on projects, and participate in prototype demonstrations or tech tutorials. The group will also convene activities that help catalyze crosspollination among longstanding technical IS research communities.

A key milestone, the inaugural SIG TECH Workshop, is scheduled for ICIS 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. The workshop (December 17, 2025, 1:00–6:00 pm) will feature presentations of the best research from Workshop on Information Technologies and Systems (WITS), prototype demonstrations, and a panel discussion on “Technology, Design, and Information Systems.”

SIG TECH President Ahmed Abbasi, PhD, remarked, "SIG TECH brings a wealth of expertise from the WITS community, related to the design of Artificial Intelligence systems. Through SIG TECH, we aim to connect scholars and showcase how prescriptive knowledge and design artifacts can make a tangible difference. We're thrilled to be bringing this to ICIS 2025."

Read more about SIG TECH’s purpose, vision, and planned events in this SIG TECH Overview

Join Today

If you are interested in contributing to, or following, cutting edge technical IS research, or simply want to connect with colleagues focused on design oriented IS artifacts, we encourage you to join SIG TECH today.

To join SIGTECH, follow this link.