GOVTRUST Centre of Excellence

DIGI4FED

Digital (R)evolution in Belgian Federal Government

| 2020-2022

DIGI4FED - Digital (R)evolution in Belgian Federal Government: An Open GovernanceEcosystem for Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and Blockchain

Abstract

While the use of data in the public sector is not new, the potential and actual use of Big Data applications affects aspects of the theoretical and practical considerations of decision-making, learning and process optimisation in the public sector both theoretically and practically. The impact of Big Data is driven not only by the data revolution but also the accompanying development of new technologies (e.g. Artificial Intelligence-driven technologies, blockchain, distributed ledger technology etc.) and advanced analytics (e.g. machine learning algorithms). Public administration organisations around the world have already started to deploy Artificial Intelligence-powered services. However, in doing so, they are constrained by legal and values and the impact of the big data based decision-making on citizens’ trust in government.

The main objective of BELSPO BRAIN-be DIGI4FED project can be summarised as follows: ‘How (big) data can be used in the Belgian federal administration system to enable better public provision through new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain?’.  Drawing upon expertise from the KU Leuven, UAntwerpen, ULiège and UNamuer, DIGI4FED investigates its objective comprehensively by:

  1. Mapping the strategic needs for big data decision-making in the federal ecosystem;
  2. Investigating the impact of AI and blockchain on internal administrative decision-making processes;
  3. Examining how big data relates to governmental transparency and citizens’ trust and;
  4. Uncovering conditions in the federal government necessary to enable big data based decision-making

For more information, please visit the project website.

Funding

  • Belgian Science Policy (BELSPO) BRAIN-be 2.0

Project team

Several GOVTRUST members are involved in this project.