In November 2023, Anne Fleur van Veenstra, scientific director of TNO Vector, was appointed professor by special appointment of 'governance of data and algorithms for urban policy'. The chair is established at the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs (FGGA) of Leiden University and is affiliated with the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre for BOLD Cities. To get to know Anne Fleur better, Sarah van der Zeijden from the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre for BOLD Cities asked her a few questions about her academic background, her work at TNO Vector and her ambitions for the coming years.
This interview is also published (in Dutch) on the website of the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs (FGGA) of Leiden University.
Can you tell something about your academic background?
"I studied Technology, Policy and Management at TU Delft and completed a second master's degree in International Relations at the UvA. During that second master's, the difference between my technical background and the way of thinking in the social sciences stood out to me. At TU Delft, I learned to think very solution-oriented, like an engineer. During the master's in International Relations, it was much more about structured analysis and reflection. I really enjoy combining these two different perspectives of science."
"At TU Delft, I learned to think very solution-oriented, like an engineer. During the master's in International Relations, it was much more about structured analysis and reflection. I really enjoy combining these two different perspectives of science."
You hold the special chair for one day a week. During the rest of the week, you are the scientific director of TNO Vector. What is the research focus of that department?
"My current research team at TNO Vector is involved in two main areas. Firstly, we explore how governments can utilize digital technologies to improve or streamline their work. We maintain a clear focus on the future: what could these technologies mean for us later on? Secondly, we aim to establish regulations in this regard. We focus on questions such as: how can data and AI be effectively employed? Can AI systems behave responsibly? What are the implications for public values, such as an inclusive society or citizens' privacy? We provide advice to entities like the European Commission and the Ministry of the Interior on these matters.
We also have the flexibility to set our own research agenda. This includes initiatives like the Policy Lab projects, which examine the use of AI for societal challenges in urban environments. For instance, in collaboration with the municipality of Rotterdam, we investigated the use of data and AI in youth policy, and with the municipality of Zoetermeer, we studied the role of different types of data in a just energy transition. These research topics are closely connected to those of the Centre for BOLD Cities and the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs".
Your chair is established at the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs of Leiden University and embedded within the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre for BOLD Cities. Can you tell something about the potential collaboration between these two organizations and TNO Vector?
"Projects carried out at TNO result in practical analyses, advice, and guidelines, for, for example, governments. However, these projects also yield new insights into regulations and governance. Through this collaboration, I aim to integrate the applied research conducted at TNO with the research of the Centre for BOLD Cities and the FGGA. By doing so, I hope to achieve greater academic embedding of TNO's research and, at the same time, share the insights gained from our applied research with a broader audience, such as students for example. I look forward to establishing cross-links between the various organizations in the coming years. Ultimately, we share the common goal of expanding knowledge about the impact of digital technology on government and continuing to address it in both the public sector and academia."
"I look forward to establishing cross-links between the various institutes in the coming years. Ultimately, all with the common goal of expanding knowledge about the impact of digital technology on government and continuing to address it in both the public sector and academia."
Interdisciplinary research plays a significant role in the research conducted at the Centre for BOLD Cities. Do you consider an interdisciplinary approach important?
"At TNO, we have always conducted interdisciplinary and even transdisciplinary research. I have always used sources and research methods from different fields. In the field of 'digital governance,' you can't really do otherwise. It is a research field that has emerged from interdisciplinary collaboration. It involves organization, governance, as well as technology. You need to bring together these different perspectives if you want to say something meaningful about digitization in the public domain. Interdisciplinarity is therefore almost a prerequisite for me to conduct science."
What impact do you ultimately hope to make with your research?
"What I hope to achieve with my research is broad, democratic control over technological developments and the use of digital technologies in a way that contributes to addressing societal challenges. I do not want policymakers to 'hide' behind "I don't understand technology" and therefore inadequately address topics related to digitization or data collection. Hopefully, I can make clear that you do not need a lot of technical insight to be able to ask questions about digitization."
"Hopefully, I can make clear that you do not need a lot of technical insight to be able to ask questions about digitization."
In the "in the spotlight" interview-series of the Centre for BOLD Cities, researchers are asked if they have a podcast, series, or book that inspires them. Do you have such a recommendation?
"Mr. Bates vs the Post Office is an English series that recently premiered. It is based on a true scandal that is somewhat similar to the benefits scandal, except that it involves employees of post offices who were accused of fraud. They were dismissed or sometimes even imprisoned, when in reality, it was a mistake in the computer system used by the post offices. A classic "computer says no" story that reminds us what it's all about when using digital technology: it should assist humans, not trap them."