Data for Policy 2022 – Ecosystems of Innovation and Virtual-Physical Interactions

The seventh edition of the conference will embrace a hybrid physical-virtual format, with one-day, in-person conferences held in three regions: Asia (Hong Kong), America (Seattle) and Europe (Brussels). We are delighted to work with our esteemed colleagues Masaru Yarime, Leigh Anderson and Francesco Mureddu (Regional Chairs) to deliver our ambitious plan. We hope that our model will allow maximal, inclusive participation from all geographic regions, while limiting environmentally unsustainable, long-distance travel. This is an experimental model that we are keen to try, to enable efficient global knowledge sharing in the post-Covid world. Nevertheless, the health and wellbeing of our community is of great importance, and we will continue to assess the global situation, and adapt our plans if this is necessary.

In addition to its six established Standard Tracks, and reflecting its three-regions model this year, the Data for Policy 2022 conference highlights “Ecosystems of innovation and virtual-physical interactions” as its theme. Distinct geopolitical and virtual-physical ecosystems are emerging as everyday operations and important socio-economic decisions are increasingly outsourced to digital systems. For example, the US’s open market approach empowering multinational digital corporations contrasts with greater central government control in the Chinese digital ecosystem, and radically differs from Europe’s priority on individual rights, personal privacy and digital sovereignty. Other localised ecosystems are emerging around national priorities: India focuses on the domestic economy, and Russia prioritises public and national security. The Global South remains underrepresented in the global debate. The developmental trajectory for the different ecosystems will shape future governance models, democratic values, and the provision of citizen services. In an envisioned ‘metaverse’ future, boundaries between physical and virtual spaces will become even more blurred, further underlining the need to scrutinise and challenge the various systems of governance.

The Data for Policy conference series is the premier global forum for multiple disciplinary and cross-sector discussions around the theories, applications and implications of data science innovation in governance and the public sector. Its associated journal, Data & Policy, published by Cambridge University Press has quickly established itself as a major venue for publishing research in the field of data-policy interactions. Data for Policy is a non-profit initiative, registered as a community interest company in the UK.