APEL was established in 2001 as a civic association, which supports the use of information and communication technologies in addressing societal challenges on a non-commercial basis and in the public interest, especially in the field of public administration, education, and health. The research activities are financed by the association from both public and private sources. The strong point of the association is the multidisciplinary nature of the activities, which, however, are connected mainly by the use of ICT.