Generating data-driven insights and trust in the realm of public policy.
Data Science applications are transforming our world and drastically redefining our ways of life. While the potential of these tools is immense, so are the risks – particularly when applied carelessly in public policy contexts. Integrating them into public policy depends on a delicate balance between disruption and ethical considerations, which require a unique combination of technical, legal and policy knowledge. At Technopolis Group, we are committed to leading this journey.
Advancements in data science are reshaping every aspect of our lives. From revolutionising healthcare diagnostics and personalising education to transforming financial credit scoring systems and broadening the scope of security and surveillance technologies, these innovations are reshaping the very fabric of society, altering how we communicate, live and build trust in an increasingly data-driven world. While their impact is profound and undeniable, their social outcomes—beneficial or harmful—depend on how we implement them. Public policy must not fall behind in leveraging these advancements while taking the lead in ensuring their responsible and ethical use.
At Technopolis, our Data Science Unit is dedicated to harnessing the power of data science to inform evidence-based policymaking. Our team includes diverse profiles with backgrounds ranging from Economics, Psychology, and Management Science to Astrophysics, Engineering and Computer Science – brought together to develop data science applications for public policy. For our unit, developing (over)sophisticated tools in policymaking is less critical than an explainable, robust and human-centred approach. Our thematic and research priorities include taming the use of generative AI in public policy, causal artificial intelligence, and real-time policy indicators by developing horizon scanning tools and large-scale data linking. However, we work in all traditional areas of data science, including machine learning, web scraping, dashboards, web apps and database management.
Two internal tools
The team developed two general-purpose internal products: the Technopolis AI Policy Concierge (AIPC) and the Science & Technology (S&T) Data Ocean.
The AIPC is our internal platform for deploying accountable generative AI on a large scale and tuned for policy insights. It enables our colleagues and clients to speak to project data and drive policy insights at unprecedented scale and speed. The platform takes data security, privacy and territorial data-jurisdiction requirements by design, promotes the generation of explainable outcomes and enables human-on-the-loop cross-validation processes.
The S&T Data Ocean is an internal architecture of linked data enabling our consultants to assess the scientific, economic and social impact of science and technology. The system links 10+ large data sources enriched by multiple web-scraped data and a mix of conventional and unconventional quantitative indicators based on text and generative AI.
For more information, please reach out to Diogo Machado, Head of the Data Science Unit.
Who we work for and with
The DSU main clients include the European Commission (e.g. DG RTD, DG Grow, DG Regio, DG Sante and DG CNECT), European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Dutch Research Council (NWO) and Medical Council (Zonmw), Austrian Science Fund (FWF), Research Council of Norway (RCN), Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), and the French Ministry of Culture (Ministère de la culture).
EU
National
