Fair and Smart Data

Global value networks derived from business activities are often complex, limited in inclusivity, and limited in transparency, partially because they have been historically designed in this manner, often to the benefit of multinational corporations. This current design limits the development of sustainable value chains that are competitive, inclusive, and fair.

The complementary partners in the FSD Spearhead see strong opportunities for implementing digital technologies and new business models that can improve social and environmental sustainability across the globe, next to economic prosperity. Digital technologies can create ‘smart’ data, that is transparent and traceable throughout the value network. This smart data can also become ‘fair data’ which provides civil society with ownership of their data and related intelligence it produces.

The FSD Spearhead will use boundary work theory as the transdisciplinary approach over several years to prove and validate the concept of fair and smart data for global sustainability and then scale up for delivery.

Partners in the FSD Spearhead are the Brightlands Institute for Supply Chain Innovation (BISCI), Marketing & Supply Chain Management (MSCM-UM), Maastricht Sustainability Institute (MSI-UM), Maastricht School of Management (MSM-UM), Data and Analytics Department (DAD-UM), Solidaridad Network, and Rabobank. The consortium opens up the research for others at SBE and elsewhere, and there will be education at SBE and beyond, and sharing of best practice on boundary work. Contact person at MSI is Ron Cörvers (r.corvers@maastrichtuniversity.nl).