Research & Innovation

RESIST - Regions for climate change resilience through Innovation

Year: 2023-2024

Client/funding: European Commission – Horizon Europe

Role in the project: Scientific Expert

Description: RESIST aims to strengthen the resilience, accelerate the transformation and increase the adaptive capacity of 12 climate vulnerable EU regions. This is done by implementing 4 large-scale demonstrators of resilient innovations for Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) following a quintuple-helix approach. The demonstrators will run in four regions but also promote the transfer of know-how and innovative solutions to eight twin regions (of which 4 less developed regions) through both physical mutual-learning activities and the implementation of innovative immersive digital twins.

Activities performed:

• Design of strategy for disseminating the scientific outputs of the project
• Classification and demonstration of climate adaptation solutions

USAGE – Urban Data Space for Green Deal

Year: 2022 - 2025

Client/funding: European Commission – Horizon Europe

Role in the project: Senior Researcher

Description: USAGE (Urban Data Space for the Green Deal) aims to provide solutions and mechanisms for making city-level environmental and climate data available to everyone based on FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable). USAGE supports the implementation of the European strategy for data and various European Green Deal priority actions at the level where climate change is mostly felt: cities and towns. The project provides innovative governance mechanisms, consolidated arrangements, AI-based tools and data analytics to share, access and use city-level data from Earth Observation (EO), Internet of Things (IoT), authoritative and crowd sources, leveraging on standards for data and service interoperability.

Activities performed:

• Analysis of climate data strategies, processes and policies at city level
• Preparation of guidelines for policy co-design in climate policies
• In-depth interviews with local experts and stakeholders

ELISE 2020 - Leveraging the power of location information and technologies to improve public services at local level: an EU-wide analysis

Year: 2020 - 2021

Client/funding: European Commission – Joint Research Center

Role in the project: Public Administration Expert

Description: The main aim of the project was to investigate the innovative use of location data and technology at local and regional levels in the EU for increasing the quality of public services and producing public value. To achieve this aim, the following project objectives were defined and achieved: to systematically review the state of the art on the innovative use of location data and technologies for delivering public services in the EU; to develop a conceptual framework for assessing the current and potential impact of the use of location data and technologies on public value creation through public services at local level; to extensively study cases to refine, tailor and validate the conceptual framework for different real-life contexts; and to outline future research and policy recommendations.

Activities performed:

• Review of the state of the art on the use of location data and technologies at the local level
• Contributing to design of conceptual framework for investigating the innovative use of location data and technologies
• Case studies on innovative approaches for using location data and technologies in cities and regions
• Drafting of policy recommendations on improving public services at local level through location data and technologies

The role of the Spatial Data Infrastructure in the Digital Transformation of Public Administration

Year: 2018 - 2019

Client/funding: European Commission – DG DIGT & Joint Research Center

Role in the project: Senior Expert

Description: Aim of this study was to first provide a comprehensive analysis and summary of SDI developments in different countries, following the legal and technical implementation frames of the INSPIRE Directive and to afterwards place these innovative developments in the larger context of eGovernment and Digital Transformation. The study helped understanding the relation between progresses in eGovernment and implementation of INSPIRE and demonstrating the role of INSPIRE as building block for digital government

Activities performed:

• Design of study on investigating the role of SDI in Digital Transformation
• Analysis of SDI developments and their role in Digital Transformation in 29 European countries
• Identification and in-depth analysis of best practices in SDI & DT
• Application of OECD recommendations on Digital Government Strategies to SDI/INSPIRE developments in Europe

Effective Governance of Open Spatial Data

Year: 2016-2018

Client/funding: European Commission, MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships

Role in the project: Research Manager & Researcher

Description: The central research question the project aimed to answer was: what is the impact of different models for governing open spatial data on the performance of open spatial data policies in Europe? To answer this research question, a case study approach was implemented, analysing two countries that were among the leading open data countries in the world: the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. In addition, an assessment was made of the openness of Spatial Data Infrastructures in Europe, with a particular focus on applied governance mechanisms. The project was executed in close collaboration with the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, and the Open Data Institute in the United Kingdom, one of the pioneering bodies in Europe in the field of open data.

Activities performed:

• Definition of project scope, methodology, stakeholder engagement strategy, risk assessment and detailed work plan
• Development and application of a framework for assessing the openness of SDIs
• Case studies on (open) geospatial data and applied governance mechanisms
• Author of book chapters on ‘Business Models for Geographic Information’ and ‘Governance of Open Spatial Data’

CENTRIC – Centre of Excellence in Territorial management and Cadastre

Year: 2015 - 2016

Client/funding: European Commission – Horizon 2020 Teaming

Role in the project: Senior GI Expert

Description: The Romanian Government decided to ensure financial support to a National Programme for a Unitary System of Cadastre and Land Registration, with a focus on the delivery of a unique database of all information on existing real estate properties. CENTRIC wanted to introduce State-of-the-Art Geographic Information Science & Technology and to implement innovative solutions. Through know-how transfer from leading RTD institutions in Europe involved in the project, CENTRIC ensured scientific excellence and a strong positioning of Romania within the aforementioned domain. CENTRIC aimed at the creation of a new Centre of Excellence on territorial management and cadastre. In particular, a detailed business plan will be developed.

Activities performed:

• Elaboration of business model and future research agenda of the Centre
• Design of curricula and mobility scheme for capacity building within the Centre

SmeSpire - A European Community of SMEs built on Environmental Digital Content and Languages

Year: 2012 - 2014

Client/funding: European Commission – FP7 Support Action

Role in the project: Researcher

Description: The purpose of the project was to encourage and enable the participation of SMEs in the implementation of Spatial Data Infrastructures, and INSPIRE in particular. Therefore smeSpire assessed the market potential for SMEs, collated and exploited a Best Practice Catalogue in the management of environmental content, developed a training curriculum and package to help filling the knowledge gap, and created a network capable of transferring result-driven knowledge throughout Europe with research centres, environmental agencies, technology and digital content providers.

Activities performed:

• Design and implementation of a study on the European Geo-ICT sector, and the impact of NSDI/INSPIRE on this sector
• Design of training programme on NSDI/INSPIRE for SMEs
• Providing training on NSDI/INSPIRE and digital government

SPATIALIST - SDI for Public Sector Innovation

Year: 2007-2011

Client/funding: Flemish Government - IWT

Role in the project: Junior Researcher

Description: SPATIALIST was a multi- and interdisciplinary research project involving researchers from different disciplines: public administration, sociology, economics, law and geomatics. The central research question of the project was: what are the technical, legal, economic, sociological and public administrative requirements to develop an operational Flemish Spatial Data Infrastructure, consistent with international standards, that is efficient, effective, flexible and feasible?

Activities performed:

• Analysis of mechanisms and instruments for coordinating in the context of Spatial Data Infrastructures
• Longitudinal study on the use of GI(S) at the municipal level
• Case studies on the access to, use of and exchange of geospatial data in different government processes
• Design and implementation of an interdisciplinary study on SDIs and their performance
• Engagement of stakeholders in different domains and at different administrative levels
• Recommendations to the further development and implementation of the SDI in Flanders