Digital and Societal Transformation ideas-expertise-proces

Paper maps always are directed north / magnetic north.   When digital maps started to appear in GPS car systems, the maps still showed north; a point was added indicating where we were located exactly. Than the complete digital map revolution started to represent the map according to the viewer location , first in 2D than in 3D.  On top of the map appeared the direction the car is heading to, no longer always north. The next step was to add contextual information, relevant to the journey of the car, like traffic accidents, and to provide actionable alternatives.  This meant a data revolution with fast feedback loop, and where everyone is a sender and receiver of information, a kind of collective intelligence in the race for 1 minute less on the road. This is what I would call the customer centricity of a map, meaning that the whole view of the earth - sorry Mercator- is permanently wrapped around the customer and his viewpoint and interests at that moment. ...

Time series animation of satellite imagery capturing the demolition of multiple villages in Maungdaw township between January 8 and February 19, 2018 link: https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/02/23/burma-scores-rohingya-villages-bulldozed

In Brussels, several free floating car systems has recently started.  They allow to check the location of a car on a map in an app, reserve it, drive with it ,and dropp it off on-street.  In order to allow a certain density of the network the area where you can take and drop the car has is about 1/3rd of Brussels region.  The companies like Drive Now, Zipcar, Scooty (for e-bike) are operating in Brussels Region  and have an official and at first sight innovative legislation to operate.  There is a yearly fee for the car, and parking can be done in the Brussels region on street, just like the other shared care services (Ubeeqo, Zencar, Cambio).   A good year after the launch, it seems that this free parking every where in Brussels has been restricted.  The red parking areas (always payment) which are some shopping streets are no longer allowed for these cars, making it a big puzzle of where you can park them.  I have taken screenshots of D...

2 years have passed  like a blip and without a note on this blog. This does not mean that nothing happened, not at all, and that the pace of change did stop.  Nothing of that all. I moved on a career step two years ago, becoming a trusted advisor on topics of digital transformation and smart city for the Brussels Region state secretary in charge of these topics.  A special advisor moving into the realm of administration and politics, with a fresh focus on service, and determined to move forward the Brussels capital in the digital world. This meant that I had to leave a lot of the topics and network of cherished professionals to dive into a new and unchartered Brussels Region territory of 161 km2 and the different layers, silos, open and closed networks that manage the capital of Europe. In the meantime my brainchild BEGEO geo trade fair had a decisive first edition in march 2016, followed by a second edition in 2017.  The motivation of academic world, administrat...

Often the question is raised onthe  benefits of open data.  Who is using it and for which purposes? It seems it is not so easy to respond, because the benefits of open data are often diffuse and indirect.  In  the past I have seen that it is not always that easy to respond to this question.  Some studies, like the one about London transport open data   indicates that 80 apps have benefited transport usage , created jobs and generated a return to the economy, not bad. The Brussels based Rockestate is than an exception.  It uses open geogrphic data, in a curated way, to created analysis both for the insurance, electricity and property market.  Their website explains the sources and possible uses.  An article from Bruzz explained it as well.  Looking forward to more stories like this one The Brussels Regional open data store    over 130 datasets.  Check them out and see what you can do with it.

Bruno Colmant  (bank Degroof) - in an earlier Linkedin talk about verbal and other violence sees no real alternative to Trumpism in this world. He looks at respect as a solution, respect to one another, without elaborating on it extensively however. As a counter-poison, it makes me think of the analysis of  my Christmas reading of  Naomi Klein in her recent book, ' no is not enough: resisting Trump's shock politics'.    Naomis explanation in the book is a real daring and interesting one, well documented as well.  In former times I would have said 'hats off'. The book goes as follows: - shock:  the strategy of Trump its advisors (mostly coming from investment bank Goldman Sachs) and industrial backing (the security and defense industry) aims to put pressure on all fronts instead of going in a sequential manner; this makes that normal people start to be confused, come into a fear and primitive reaction mode, and at a certain point will want a ...