Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network “Datavysts” launched

The “Datavysts” project, funded by Horizon Europe, the European Union, and UK Research and Innovation, is being organized at the Social Research Center (sfs) of the Department of Social Sciences in a consortium with partners from Glasgow Caledonian University (Scotland, coordinator), Politecnico di Milano (Italy), the Jožef Stefan Institute (Slovenia), and Ghent University (Belgium). Numerous associated partners from a number of European countries, including the Smart City Office of the City of Schwerte, the Social Innovation Center of the City of Dortmund, Business Metropole Ruhr, and Social Impact gGmbH, are also part of the project, as is the TIE Institute at the Department of Business and Economics.

Datavysts addresses the broad topic of the interplay between social innovation and artificial intelligence, combining the disciplines of social and data sciences – and following the guiding principle "We connect data science with social innovation to serve the common good." As a doctoral network within the MSCA, Datavysts has a unique mission: it is not just about developing groundbreaking theories. In a co-creative process, Datavysts aims to leverage the possibilities of the various disciplines involved and artificial intelligence to achieve a positive impact on a range of societal challenges, from inclusion and democracy to health and climate change. This requires and explores a bidirectional interaction between social innovation and artificial intelligence: artificial intelligence can promote and support social innovation, while social innovation can also influence the development of artificial intelligence.

PD Dr. Christoph Kaletka and Dr. Katrin Bauer recently welcomed two fellows to the Social Research Center: Weronika Szpak from Poland und Andrés Zárrate from Colombia.

Weronika will focus on new opportunities for participation and social inclusion through social innovation and artificial intelligence in the welfare sector. Before starting as a researcher at the Social Research Center, Weronika completed her master's degree in economic data analysis at the University of Economics in Poznan and holds two bachelor's degrees in sociology and economics. As part of a research fellowship, she studied the entrepreneurial orientation of NGOs in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic, developing a lasting interest in the third sector, social innovation, and civil society. Driven by a lifelong curiosity about the natural and social forces that shape our world, Weronika is also a culture lover, avid reader, and concertgoer. She enjoys hiking with her loved ones and her whippet Mrówka ("Ant"), cooking, and playing badminton. During her doctoral studies, Weronika will also complete two secondments, similar to internships, with two of the associated partners—the Social Innovation Center of the City of Dortmund and Social Impact gGmbH in Berlin.

Andrés is focusing on the topic of "Public sector actors as users and pioneers of artificial intelligence for the promotion of social innovation." Before starting his research work at the Social Research Center, he had a scholarship for the Erasmus Mundus master's program "Sports Ethics and Integrity." This strengthened his interest in ethical research and international cooperation. Andrés presented his master's thesis on "Sport for Development and Peace" at the International Olympic Academy, and he returned to Colombia to better understand how the findings could serve society. Andrés grew up near Bogotá and studied business administration there, focusing on service companies, combining entrepreneurship with leadership roles in society. His career has been shaped not only by professional experience, but also by the support of his family, his friendships, and a deep curiosity about the world. Andrés will complete his secondments at Business Metropole Ruhr and the Smart City Office of the City of Schwerte.

The research focus of both fellows is not only a particularly good fit for Datavysts, but also for the Social Research Center's areas of focus. Christoph Kaletka has been researching social innovation, its ecosystemic and innovation policy framework conditions for a long time. Katrin Bauer examined entrepreneurship in the public sector in her dissertation at the TIE Institute and is now conducting research at the Social Research Center with a focus on social innovation enablement and artificial intelligence in the public sector.

A face-to-face event is planned for 2026 at the Social Research Center, which will be attended by all 13 fellows distributed across the consortium as well as the lead researchers involved in each project. Over the course of three days, the doctoral fellows will learn research skills and coding and present the status of their research, while the lead researchers will provide input and feedback.

Those interested can keep up to date with the project via the blog on the Datavysts website and on LinkedIn. Christoph Kaletka and Katrin Bauer are available to answer questions at the Social Research Center.