About Us
ECDA serves as a flagship centre within Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), facilitating applied research and active learning in the domains of AI, data, digitalisation, and making it tangible through immersive technology which encompasses VR and AR and creates captivating digital experiences. This technology intersects with AI, data, and digitalisation by harnessing data-driven insights for personalised interactions, leveraging AI for enhanced realism, and contributing to industrial digital transformation via interactive and data-rich environments. This convergence increases customer engagement, empowers informed decision-making, and drives innovation across sectors.
We concentrate on supporting the development and application of data analytics methods to address real-world challenges. Hence, we partner with both public and private organisations through an extensive partner programme.
Our Belief
We hold the belief that data, algorithms, and AI act as vehicles to bring the necessary changes and transitions required to confront current and future societal challenges and to move closer to achieving objectives like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We recognise our responsibility to equip our society with emerging talent that is proficient in data and AI – preparing them to navigate the swiftly evolving AI landscape in an effective and thoughtful manner. This approach should contribute to society in a positive and sustainable way.
"You cannot look at data analytics in isolation anymore. It is not just influencing technology, operation management and marketing – it is redefining whole industries”
Marcel van Oosterhout
Executive Director, ECDA
Our Approach
At ECDA, our hands-on, human-centred approach serves as a central tenet of our programmes and activities. This approach involves working with real and current data sets, along with real individual, organisational, and societal challenges.
This human-centred approach is a critical aspect, and the link between context, strong techniques and society is a direct embodiment of the different schools (rooted in law, sociology, art, business, economics, and healthcare) that together form the Erasmus University Rotterdam and shape the Erasmian values.
We encourage and facilitate vital debates on AI’s design and the ethical, social, and legal considerations surrounding its use and societal impact. We contemplate its influence on aspects such as consumers, employers, workers, and the emerging generation of talent. In this light, we strongly believe that a balanced focus on context, techniques, algorithms, and human aspects is essential to ensure these technologies effectively serve broader society.
Our Focus
Within the ECDA community, we focus on facilitating multidisciplinary collaborations across established and emerging domains through various ways, including:
- Creating a structure of expert practices and chapters centred around specific impact themes;
- Enabling and igniting collaborative research and innovation programmes and initiatives;
- Cultivating and linking our fast-growing and diverse network of external partners with our researchers;
- Building and nurturing a strong community around data, AI, digitalisation and immersive technology through EUR initiatives and organisations like AiPact, Q-Intelligence, EDSC (EUR University library), and ErasmusX, CLI, EDIS and ERS;
- Facilitating and organising regular opportunities for engagement with both internal and external stakeholders through planned events, such as the annual Erasmus Data Summit and other gatherings, as well as spontaneous encounters within our physical hub: the Erasmus Data Collaboratory – Convergence House-of-AI.
Our Structure
Currently, the ECDA organisational structure includes 28 Expert Practices (or XPs), the Erasmus Initiative ‘AiPact,’ and the Convergence House-of-AI initiative ‘the Erasmus Data Collaboratory’:
- The Expert Practices focus on four foundational domains (technologies, methods, organisation & governance, and human/societal perspective) and five application domains (industry, health & care, port & logistics, energy & sustainability, public).
- The Erasmus Initiative ‘AiPact’ revolves around innovative and interdisciplinary AI research and education that places people and society at its core.
- The Erasmus Data Collaboratory | House-of-AI functions as the campus hub for data and AI activities.
Team
Expert Practice Directors
Prof. Dr. Ting Li
Professor of Digital Business at RSM
Fields of expertise: digital strategy, e-commerce, digital platforms, business analytics, social media and mobile marketing, digital advertising, pricing and revenue management. Professor Li’s interdisciplinary research has been sponsored by multiple grants from the Dutch National Science Foundation (NWO) and multinational companies.
Prof. Dr. Gui Liberali
Professor of Digital Marketing at RSM
Fields of expertise: marketing analytics, machine learning, advertising analytics, optimal learning, multi-armed bandits, adaptive trials, online advertising, morphing theory and applications, and dynamic programming. Professor Liberali is also a researcher at the Erasmus Medical Center, developing methods for clinical trials.
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Ketter
Professor of Next Generation Information Systems at RSM
Fields of expertise: autonomous systems, energy and mobility, sustainable energy and digitalization using AI and ML. Prof. Ketter is also Director at the Erasmus Center for Future Energy Business, Professor at the University of Cologne, Director at the Institute of Energy Economics at the University of Cologne and Fellow and member of the Global Future Council on Mobility at the World Economic Forum.
Dr. Rebecca Moody
Assistant Professor at ESSB
Fields of expertise: data governance and management, particularly around the social, ethical and individual consequences of the urban data revolution for people in the city. Professor Van Zoonen is also Academic Director at the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre for BOLD Cities and Dean at the Erasmus Graduate School Social Sciences and Humanities.
Dr. Robert Rooderkerk
Associate Professor of Operations Management at RSM, ECDA Lab Director of Retail Analytics, and Academic Director of the MScBA Business Analytics &Management at RSM
Expert in supply chain analytics and product lifecycle management. His research focuses on retail operations, particularly omnichannel retail, assortment, and fulfillment, integrating psychology, consumer behavior, and advanced analytics. He also examines how new technologies and data are reshaping global retail.
Dr. Anne Kathrin Klesse
Associate Professor of Marketing at RSM
Field of expertise: impact of technology on consumer judgment and decision making, consumer perceptions of AI and algorithmic advice. Dr. Klesse was awarded the prestigious Veni grant from NWO for her research on voice interfaces and decision making. She has frequently visited Stanford Graduate School of Business as a Visiting Researcher.
Prof. Dr. Martijn de Jong
Professor of marketing research at the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE)
Martijn de Jong is a professor of quantitative marketing at the Erasmus School of Economics, and formerly a visiting scholar at Columbia Business School and New York University. He has acted as a data science & artificial intelligence consultant for various companies in the market research, luxury & defense industries, for the Catholic Church, and also served as a legal expert witness.
Dr. Yashar Ghiassi-Farrokhfal
Associate Professor of Technology and Operations Management at RSM
Fields of expertise: digital energy, wholesale and retail energy markets, energy system integrations, energy storage systems, smart charging and e-mobility, and city-wide energy planning. Also ivolved in the European project FlexSUS which aims at providing a decision support system for sustainable and efficient energy transitions for city planners.
Prof. Dr. Rob Zuidwijk
Professor of Global Supply Chains and Ports at RSM
Fields of expertise: coordination for sustainable global supply chains, synchromodal transport networks and inter-organisational systems in logistics. Professor Zuidwijk is also Captain of Science of the Topsector Logistics in the Netherlands and ambassador Smart Logistics of SmartPort, a collaborative arrangement with the port community of Rotterdam.
Prof. Dr. Iris Wallenburg
Associate professor Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management
Iris Wallenburg is an associate professor at Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam. She studies AI’s impact on healthcare and leads two national staffing projects (RN2Blend and RegioZ) with the Ministry of Health. She also serves on a national advisory committee for healthcare employment and works on workforce development initiatives.
Prof. Dr. Moniek Buijzen
Professor of Communication and Behavioural Change at ESSB
Fields of expertise: benefits of digital technology in a healthy and sustainable lifestyle, dissemination of health campaigns for youth and peer influencers in online social networks. Professor Buijzen also leads the NWO funded SocialMovez project.
Prof. Dr. Yvonne van Everdingen
Professor of Marketing and Innovation at RSM
Expert in marketing new products and using VR and AR for sustainable consumer adoption. She serves on the EUR Diversity Advisory Board, the Special Interest Group on Virtual Reality, and the “Profgroep Onderwijs” at MOA Expertise Center, and chairs the MOAward Insights Scientist of the Year jury.
Prof. Dr. Luca Berchicci
Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and New Business Venturing at RSM
Fields of expertise: decision making in problem solving, firm’s capabilities building, (green) innovation and business models and machine learning algorithms for model uncertainty mapping. His primary interest lies at the intersection of strategy, entrepreneurship and innovation.
Prof. Dr. Dennis Fok
Professor of Econometrics and Data at ESE
Fields of expertise: econometrics, data science, machine learning, marketing, and high dimensional data. Professor Fok also advices companies and other organizations on research related issues. He is the director of the Econometric Institute and the Academic Director of the master in Business Analytics & Quantitative Marketing (specialization within the Econometrics and Management Science program).
Prof. Dr. Aurélie Lemmens
Associate Professor of Marketing Management at RSM
Fields of expertise: customer analytics, machine learning, causal interference, optimization of managerial decisions such as customer targeting. She is the author of the recently developed ProfitBoost algorithm to optimize customer retention campaigns. Dr. Lemmens was awarded several prestigious grants, including a Marie Curie from the European Research Council, a Veni and a Vidi grant from NWO.
Prof. Dr. Marcus Specht
Full professor at Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences
Prof. Dr. Marcus Specht is a Professor of Digital Education at Technical University of Delft and Director of the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Center. He specializes in mobile learning technologies and immersive media and is an Apple Distinguished Educator. He served as President of the International Association of Mobile Learning (2013-2015).
Dr. Trilce Navarrete Hernandez
Assistant Professor of Digital Cultural Economics at EUR
Specializing in the economic and historic aspects of digital heritage, Navarrete has been a scientific advisor at the European Group of Museum Statistics (EGMUS) since 2011 and serves on the board of the International Committee of Documentation (CIDOC). He is also a regular guest lecturer in Museology programs worldwide.
Dr. Kristiaan Glorie
Executive Director at Erasmus Q-Intelligence
Fields of expertise: econometrics, data science, machine learning, operations research. Dr. Glorie leads the development of data science and AI solutions for businesses at Erasmus Q-Intelligence, and he advises organizations on their implementation. He is the director of the post-master Data Science & Business Analytics program.
Prof. Dr. Claartje ter Hoeven
Professor of Organizational Dynamics in the Digital Society at EUR
Professor ter Hoeven is the scientific director and coordinator of the interdisciplinary master and research program ‘Organizational Dynamics in the Digital Society’. Her scholarly interests encompass constant connectivity, digital labor, algorithmic management, and worker’s well-being. Currently, her teaching and research focuses on how digital technologies reconfigure work for different people in different types of work.
Research interests: Digital labor, algorithmic management, remote work, worker’s well-being
Prof. Dr. Gabriele Jacobs
Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Culture at the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (ESSB)
Professor Gabriele Jacobs is a Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Culture at Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences and Academic Director of the “AI in Public Safety and Security” initiative at ECDA. Her research covers organizational change, leadership, and public safety management. Since September 2022, she leads the NWA project AI-MAPS, a multi-disciplinary research initiative involving over 20 partners from academia, industry, and civil society.
Prof. Dr. Peter van der Spek
Professor of Pathology & Clinical Bioinformatics at EMC
Fields of expertise: Biological Studies, Computer Science, Information Engineering and mathematics and statistics to support the diagnostics of complex patients. Professor Van der Spek is also Visiting Professor at the University of Chulalongkorn Bangkok, Thailand
Prof. Dr. Klaus Heine
Professor of Law and Economics at ESL
Fields of expertise: legal consequences of technological disruption. Professor Heine is also the Director of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on Digital Governance. He is also a member of the platform Learning Systems of the German government.
Core team
Dr. Marcel van Oosterhout
Executive Director, ECDA
Marcel van Oosterhout is the Executive Director of the Erasmus Centre for Data Analytics. He focuses on digitalization, AI, and immersive technologies to address societal challenges like the energy transition and smart sustainable cities. With a PhD from Rotterdam School of Management, he has over 25 years of experience in project management, applied research, and executive training, and excels at building projects and partnerships at the intersection of science and practice
Marlon Domingus
Data Protection Officer
Marlon Domingus is the Data Protection Officer for Erasmus University Rotterdam, EUR Holding, and RSM BV. He leads national working groups and oversees free online courses on data protection and GDPR. Specializing in GDPR, Marlon writes and speaks on privacy governance, data ethics, privacy by design, risk management, and EU data governance reforms. He also has a background in philosophy.
Dr. Zaman ZiabakhshGanji
Data Analytics Support Engineer
Experienced in data engineering, deep learning, ETL processes, and full-stack development, with expertise in developing RESTful APIs. Skilled in creating robust data pipelines and advanced machine learning solutions, proficient in Python, Django, and cloud platforms like AWS and GCP. Familiar with delivering AI-driven projects across diverse disciplines.
Farshad Hasanabadi
Platform Engineer
A passionate thinker and doer. Having a background in chemical engineering (BSc) and renewable energy systems (MSc) and holds an engineering doctorate (EngD) in Smart Buildings & Cities. Having built and prototyped solutions for extracting value from data in the engineering and smart city domains. Being hands-on in developing the components of ECDA Data Collaboratory, where data and AI come to life.
Monika Olbrycht
Design & Digital Marketing Coordinator
A graphic designer and illustrator with experience in DTP and digital design. Experienced in working with communication and marketing tools. Passionate about creating new design solutions and thinking outside of the box. Creating digital portraits and patterns as a hobby.
Lucia Tarro
Event Coordinator
A driven U.S. student with a BA in International Business from Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, now pursuing a Master’s in Management of Innovation at Erasmus University. Skilled in event management, strategic consulting, public speaking, team leadership, diplomatic communication, digital marketing, and HR & brand management.
Marta Stachowiak-De Wit
Marketing Lead
Passionate about customer engagement and data-driven decision-making, they co-founded Erasmus Enterprise and served as Head of Marketing. With expertise in strategic positioning and brand development, they were also Customer Excellence Manager EMEA. Skilled in creative management, they focus on strategic execution and impact.
Daphne Broer
Project and Event Manager
Passionate about organizing events and creating a place where people can meet and learn from each other. Experiences in organizing various B2B events. With a background in Media and Entertainment Management(BA), I possess the skills and knowledge necessary to plan, coordinate, and execute events and projects that not only meet but exceed expectations. A real team player with a hands-on mentality and always happy to help.
Jos van Dongen
Director Erasmus Data Collaboratory
Jos van Dongen became Director of the Erasmus Data Collaboratory – House of AI in July 2023. With a career in software development and data analytics since 1991, he has authored several notable BI books and articles. Previously a principal consultant at SAS Institute, he has led analytics teams across sectors and continues to teach future data scientists and analysts at conferences and academic institutions.
Matthijs Malkus
Project and Event Manager
With a background in public administration and health economics, they are a sustainability enthusiast and former lector at Erasmus University College. They founded “Plantaarnpaal” to green the city and manage the EUR Smart Campus and AI@EUR projects, focusing on creative solutions to improve ECDA and EUR.
Delal Aktas
Analytics & Website Coordinator
A hard-working and continuously learning MSc Innovation Management student who immerses themselves in the world of entrepreneurship, business, and technology. Have taken on multiple positions, ranging from technical sales and algorithm-based marketing to leadership positions in student associations and freelancing teams.
Advisory Board
Gerrit Schipper
Former executive director of ECDA, will chair the new advisory board. He is the EUR Program Director AI, Data & Digitalisation at Convergence Alliance. Supervisory Board Member at NEMO, and Advisory Board Member for several organizations including Recharge Earth and Anderson MacGyver.
Elly de Vrijer
Elly de Vrijer is the Partner and Practice Lead for WOMEN IN TECH ® Global and Boardroom Diversity at Hightech Partners. Expert in C-level Executive Search, Female Mentorship, and Talent Development. Ambassador & Mentor for the Global WomenTech Network and Nominated Strong Woman in IT 2021 (Global Edition), with a strong focus on continuous transformation and upskilling.
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