Pieter Ballon

Pieter Ballon is a Full Professor at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Director of imec-SMIT, part of the Studies in Media, Innovation and Technology (SMIT) research group. He holds dual affiliations in Communication Sciences and SMIT. His roles include leadership in interdisciplinary research projects and academic administration.

Research expertise focuses on Smart Cities, Digital Platforms, and ICT business models. Key interests include platform urbanism, data ecosystems, and algorithmic systems' societal impacts. He has supervised 122 academic works, including 8 master’s theses listed here.

Notable awards include the 1st Brussels Smart City Ambassador (2016-2017) and multiple Best Paper Awards. His work spans over 300 publications and 75 research projects, with active grants like SHALGO (2024-2028) and AMAI 5 (2025-2026). He frequently engages in public debates, academic conferences, and media discussions on topics like algorithmic governance and smart city technologies.